Over the past several years, substantial regulation has been passed mandating the “greening” of federal government buildings. Last month was no exception and saw the declaration of a new “gold” standard. In late October 2010, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) issued a new mandate requiring that all federal building construction projects and “substantial” renovation projects achieve a minimum LEED Gold certification in their quest to improve energy efficiency. Leadership in Environmental Efficiency Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized and widely-accepted third party green building certification program, established by the U.S. Green Building Council, that determines the energy efficiency and sustainability of building projects.