“Governator” Launches “Green California” Website

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration recently unveiled a sweeping new “Green California” website, based on his vision of an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly California.

The new site, www.green.ca.gov , is filled with ideas, guidelines, reference materials, engineering data and environmentally friendly purchasing information to assist state and local government agencies and California businesses with the shift toward environmental sustainability, energy conservation and the reduction of landfill waste. It also provides government and business purchasing officials with detailed information on environmentally friendly products and services, and shows officials how to write environmental specifications into their bid solicitations.

In a December 2004 executive order, Governor Schwarzenegger launched an aggressive action plan to reduce California’s energy purchases for the thousands of state-owned buildings by 20% by 2015, while conserving other scarce natural resources. The executive order also urged local governments, K-12 schools, universities, community colleges and businesses to adopt the same goals. The new site provides vital reference material and “how to” guidelines to implement that vision.

The governor proposed to achieve the 20% energy reduction by designing, constructing, operating and renovating state-owned buildings to meet the high standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver rating and by leasing office space in buildings with a federal Energy Star rating.

In the private sector, the governor pointed out that commercial buildings use 36% of California’s electricity and account for a large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, raw material consumption and waste. By adopting the practices outlined in his executive order, Schwarzenegger said that California could save $2 billion of the $12 billion in electricity consumed every year by the state’s commercial and institutional buildings.

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