Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Green Buildings Council is off to a busy start in 2015

The Long Island chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is already off to a busy start in 2015. In January, we welcomed PSEG-LI and Lockheed Martin to present their program incentives for the upcoming year. John Franceschina, senior manager for energy efficiency and demand response programs, and USGBC-LI board member, detailed PSEG's commitment to renewable, efficiency, and LEED projects. In February, the chapter, in cooperation with LI GEO, hosted Zachary Fink of ZBF Geothermal to provide an overview of geothermal technology. Our program was particularly timely considering the recent joint release of a model geothermal code by LI GEO and the Suffolk County planning commission. The chapter is proud to be supporting this effort and Smithtown recently became the first municipality to adopt the code. Michael Ruiz, director of customer and community management for National Grid, presented at our March Green Scene meeting. Michael conveyed National Grid's renewed commitment to infrastructure investments on Long Island and highlighted to our membership various projects that have received efficiency incentives. The USGBC-LI board recently announced that John Corrado, president of Suffolk Transportation, will be our honoree at our 2015 gala on June 11th. Under John's leadership, Suffolk Transportation is well positioned to support the growth of public transportation in support of county executive Steve Bellone's Connect Long Island vision. John has also made a corporate commitment to sustainability by installing solar pv systems at several of Suffolk Transportation's facilities and entering into a joint venture to help design all-electric school and commercial vehicles. Our education committee, chaired by Sal Ferrara of the Electrical Training Center, has been busy at work preparing curriculum tailored to LEED v4. The chapter, in partnership with SUNY Stony Brook's Advanced Energy Training Institute, will be offering LEED GA courses beginning next month. Continuing education programs for LEED Accredited Professionals specifically focused on LEED v4 will be offered later this year. The Green Schools committee, chaired by Paul Cataldo, has recently begun taking applications for our 2015 scholarship program. We are looking forward to supporting a new class of future leaders. If you would like more information about our upcoming events and courses, would like to join one of our committees, or would like support for your LEED project, please visit our website at www.usgbc-li.org. Sammy Chu is the chairman of the Long Island chapter of the United States Green Building Council and commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Hauppauge, N.Y.