The Windy City currently leads the U.S. in the number of LEED-certified buildings.

Chicago River at night - Image by Robert S. Donovan

At the Chicago Tribune’s request, the U.S. Green Building Council released data on which city boasts the most structures to be awarded the coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification. Chicago is credited with 223 of these buildings, while New York City and Washington D.C. are tied at 146.

Though the Second City is No. 1 right now in green innovation, the number of Washington and New York projects in development seeking LEED-Certification should put them in front in the near future. While Chicago has 516 construction projects seeking certification, Washington and New York both have well over 600 projects underway.

“We know that green buildings can and should be front and center of any credible jobs creation program,” USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi said recently in response to the Obama Administration’s Better Buildings Initiative. “The jobs supported by the green building industry can’t be outsourced, and they are jobs that frequently can build on skills learned in the manufacturing sector.”

The Better Buildings Initiative seeks to implement environmentally-friendly methods in the rehabilitation and construction of existing and upcoming structures. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the green-building industry is projected to generate $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product between 2009 and 2013.