The jury is still out on just how effective California's new Zero Net Energy Action Plan will be for promoting green buildings in the state. The initiative is designed to help the Golden State's commercial building owners take advantage of the latest technologies and financial incentives to reduce building energy use to "net zero" through greater efficiency and on-site "clean energy" production.

The California Public Utilities Commission's lead official overseeing the agency's energy-efficiency programs told Green Building Insider that there is "a lot of support" for the plan. However, in an Op/Ed piece submitted to GBI, two green building experts in the state asserted that for energy efficiency to be adopted wholesale in California and across the United States, it must make economic sense and that, as currently drafted, the plan "does not appear to make economic sense." Additional details and comments about the plan are included in this edition of GBI.

Also in this issue, two other experts have provided attendees of a recent GBI webinar several tips for minimizing green building risks, the U.S. General Services Administration has unveiled its Sustainability Performance Plan, a new federal law is expected to reduce indoor air pollution, several organizations have taken recent steps to promote building energy efficiency, a slew of businesses have reported new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certifications, and nine entries have been added to our calendar of newsworthy developments that are expected to occur in the green building community over the next several years.