For a second consecutive year, Illinois led all U.S. states in LEED-certified projects in 2014 on the basis of square feet per state resident, according to data compiled U.S. Green Building Council, the Washington, D.C.-based entity overseeing LEED certification programs.

In 2014, Illinois added 174 LEED-certified projects, or 3.31 square feet per capita, sufficient to land it on the top spot based on 2010 U.S. Census Data and commercial and institutional projects achieving LEED certification during the year. Illinois was followed by Colorado, which added 102 LEED certified projects, or 3.15 square feet per capita.

California added 517 LEED-certified projects in 2014, more than any other state in the nation, but logged only 1.87 square feet of green space per capita. With 250 LEED-certified projects, New York likewise surpassed Illinois in total LEED-certified projects, but achieved per-capita square footage of only 1.74

Ranked No. 9, with 39 LEED-certified projects and per-capita square footage of 1.79, Minnesota was the only Midwest state to crack the Top 10 besides Illinois.

Two newcomers to the Top 10, Georgia and Arizona, denote “a year of major growth in the South and Southwest, while the continued strong performance of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have helped the mid-Atlantic region remain the epicenter of green building across the country,” USGBC indicated in a statement.

Maryland, ranked third, added 132 LEED-certified projects, or 2.70  square feet per capita, while Virginia, ranked fourth, added 150 LEED-certified projects, or 2.33 square feet per capita. Washington, D.C. added 102 projects, or 29.44 square feet per capita, but was ineligible for the ranking because it is a federal district rather than a state. 

Illinois requires all new and renovated state buildings to achieve LEED certification and encourages utilities to provide rebates to owners performing energy-saving upgrades.