A recent article from the USGBC highlights President-Elect Barack Obama’s movement towards a green economy stemming from the creation of more efficient, green buildings:

LEED Initiatives: 12 federal agencies or departments | 31 states
| 108 cities | 30 counties | 28 towns

November 2008
The New Agenda: A New Energy Economy and 5 Million Green Jobs

With more than 500 energy and climate advisors, President-Elect Barack
Obama campaigned on an aggressive and detailed plan to strengthen the
economy, spur green job creation, and protect the environment.

Harnessing the amazing momentum and progress of the green building
community, USGBC is now working to promote sound policies in the next
administration that will stimulate a green economy, create millions of
green jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advance greener, more
energy-efficient buildings, and spur green infrastructure. The
following policy proposals, advanced by the President-Elect during the
campaign, offer particular promise for advancing green building:

Green Building: President-Elect Obama has proposed the expansion of
federal grants to assist states and localities in building more
efficient public buildings through the use of LEED. In addition, under
President-Elect Obama’s plan, all new federal buildings would have to
be carbon-neutral by 2025. This plan also would commit all new federal
buildings to a 40% improvement in efficiency within five years and
would seek a 25% improvement in the efficiency of existing federal
buildings within the same period.
Building Efficiency Goals and Incentives: President-Elect Obama has
proposed a goal of carbon-neutrality for all new buildings by 2030.
This will be achieved by establishing a goal of 50% greater building
efficiency for new buildings and 25% greater efficiency for existing
buildings over the next decade. Under the plan, the federal government
would award grant funds to states and localities that implement new,
energy efficient building codes, and would provide matching grants to
states that promote building retrofitting through public benefits
funds.
Green Jobs and Job Training: President-Elect Obama has proposed an
investment of $150 billion over 10 years to spur the development of
renewable and other technologies, promote energy efficiency, and
advance new fuel and smart electricity infrastructure. This plan would
direct funding to the manufacturing sector for job training and
transition programs, and would create an estimated 5 million new green
jobs. Additional training programs, including a Green Jobs Corps for
disadvantaged youth and a Clean Energy Corps, have been proposed to
stimulate the development of a highly skilled workforce.
Transportation and Infrastructure: President-Elect Obama has proposed
the consideration of smart growth principles in the transportation
funding process, as well as renewed support for public mass transit
projects. The President-Elect’s proposed plan also includes the
creation of a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to direct $60
billion over 10 years to infrastructure projects that could create
some 2 million new jobs and $35 billion annually in economic activity.

With strong federal support, the green building community will be able
to accelerate its spectacular wave of growth and innovation, and help
ignite a rebuilt, revived green economy. USGBC looks forward to
working with the new administration to support these and other
initiatives that create jobs, save money and energy, and promote the
creation of sustainable buildings and communities.

A Green Revolution: Creating Green Jobs and Economic Recovery through
Green Building

USGBC estimates that 2.5 million new green jobs could directly result
from a 100% commitment to energy efficiency in our homes, schools, and
offices. Indeed, McKinsey & Company reports that 85% of future
incremental electricity needs in 2030 could be met through energy
efficiency in buildings, appliances, and industry. For more than a
decade, the U.S. Green Building Council’s members have been at the
forefront of the green building movement. Building by building,
neighborhood by neighborhood, we are already witnessing the positive
impact of green buildings on the planet, and we are making equally
impressive progress in support of the other two “p’s” that guide our
work — people and prosperity. Through the deployment of new, green
projects, products and technologies, the green building movement is
harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit of our country, creating green
jobs for the future, and providing opportunities for individuals from
all walks of life to enjoy healthier, more environmentally
responsible, and prosperous buildings and communities. Informed by our
collective experience with more than 2,000 LEED certified facilities
and nearly 16,000 LEED registered projects, we must now dedicate
ourselves to restoring not only our environment, but also our economy.

New technical expertise and skills will be required to transition from
our carbon-intensive economy to the green economy of the future.
Large-scale investment in building efficiency and renewable energy,
among other areas, can spur the creation of millions of new, green
jobs — reviving domestic industries and communities while advancing
our environmental goals.