By Jim Ritchie
S.C. Senate Majority Whip

Finding a common sense balance between protecting South Carolina’s environment and enacting progressive standards for our buildings and state fleet is something that must be addressed today.

That is why I have introduced four bills collectively known as “Energy Independence for South Carolina’s Future.” Together, they address our growing dependence on foreign energy, the rising costs of energy on our state, the effects of a building’s indoor environment on its residents and protecting the beautiful environment for which South Carolina has become famous.

Because this initiative is so important to our future, we already have 13 bi-partisan co-sponsors, including President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell and five additional senate committee chairmen. We have also received seven letters of endorsement from state organizations ranging from the American Institute of Architects to the Conservation Voters of South Carolina.

Without raising taxes, S. 362 and S. 376 will implement aggressive sustainable construction standards for our public buildings and schools, using a high-performance rating system known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED takes a whole-building approach to sustainability and high-performance standards.

This system also highlights the importance of evaluating a building’s cost based on its entire life in operation, rather than just the up-front construction costs. With average cost premiums of only 2%, life cycle savings of LEED buildings are currently averaging 20% of the construction costs, thus returning more than 10 times the initial investment.

Another important factor addressed in these bills is the indoor environment. Several studies have shown that the four major attributes of high-performance buildings—increased ventilation control, temperature control, lighting control and daylighting—have been positively and significantly correlated with increased productivity. As indoor air quality rises, studies have shown student absenteeism decreases by 15% and standardized test scores increase by 5%, which increases students’ lifetime earnings substantially. Improved air quality was also found to reduce asthma by an average of 38.5% in five separate studies.

High-performance school buildings would experience average savings of $12 per square foot after construction, which is four times the initial investment. Sustainable schools use an average of 33% less energy and 32% less water than traditionally designed schools. These improvements result in major savings for our local school districts while providing an improved learning environment for our children. What’s more, these measures address the serious needs of many of our schools.

According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, 14 million students, attend schools considered below standard or dangerous with air unfit to breath. This is simply an unacceptable practice that must be addressed immediately.

Innovative investment is the key to our economic future. The Sustainable Investment Act, S. 377, creates tax incentives for private developers to use these rigorous “green” standards in constructing new or renovated commercial buildings. In addition, the bill creates an expedited permitting process for developers employing the LEED standards. These incentives encourage demand in the private sector without enacting excessive regulation that cause unnecessary burdens on the businesses that drive our state’s economy.

Finally, S. 368 would require the state’s Fleet Management Program to select hybrid, plug-in hybrid, bio-diesel and Flex-Fuel vehicles when price, performance and quality are comparable to traditional vehicles. South Carolina spends more than $100 million annually to own and operate our fleet, with more than $32 million spent on roughly 14 million gallons of fuel. This measure will reduce the state’s fuel spending while minimizing the unpredictability of our fuel supply and the emissions that poison our environment.

This initiative will go a long way in promoting our state’s vital economic and strategic interests. Last year, South Carolinians spent more than $18 billion on energy, 98% of which came from outside our state. Even more troublesome, a great deal of our energy supply comes from foreign countries hostile to the United States. Together, these measures will lessen our demand while protecting our state and national interests. They will promote a growing niche in our burgeoning construction market and will enhance our state’s primary industry, tourism, by protecting the areas our citizens and our visitors love to visit or call home.

James H. Ritchie Jr. has represented S.C. Senate District 13, serving Greenville, Spartanburg and Union counties, since 2001. He is majority whip and chairman of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission. He can be reached at jhr@scsenate.org.

SUBSCRIBE | REPRINTS | CONTACT US

Phone: 843-849-3100    Fax: 843-849-3122