Starting next year,  jurisdictions in the state can choose to adopt an internationally accepted green building code for private and public construction.

“This will make it easier and cheaper to build green,” said Stuart Kaplow, president of the U.S. Green Building Council of Maryland. The General Assembly passed House Bill 972 this spring, making Maryland the first state in the nation to authorize the voluntary use of the International Green Construction Code. The IgCC, as it is commonly abbreviated, is a product of a non-profit headquarted in Washington, D.C., which exists to establish green construction requirements within jurisdictions and educate about green construction.  …

The bill goes into effect in March 2012, and applies to commercial, institutional and warehouse construction, as well as residential construction such as condominiums It does not apply to single-family dwellings or townhouses.  …

While voluntary, the bill encourages jurisdictions to adopt the IgCC. And, given the marketing appeal of green buildings, president of the Maryland Building Officials Association Rich Truitt expects it to be popular in the commercial field both for apartment buildings over three stories in height and for office buildings regardless of height.  …

However, Truitt is unsure how popular the code will be in Maryland. From the standpoint of the jurisdictions, “it will be more work if they adopt the IgCC, because it’s over and above what we do ordinarily,” he said.