Illinois led the nation for “green” buildings in 2015, according to a report from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Illinois has 161 buildings and nearly 44 million square feet of space that has been certified as LEED, or “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.”
Illinois has been the top state in the nation for green building in the USGBC ranking for the past three years, this year beating out Maryland and Massachusetts to take the top spot. USGBC noted that green construction is expected to support 413,000 total jobs in Illinois.