Under a law President Obama signed Dec. 31., the Defense Department will not be allowed to use any money to certify its buildings LEED Gold or Platinum unless the secretary of defense certifies that savings from the project will be bigger than the cost.

The National Defense Authorization Act also requires DoD to give Congress a report by June 30 analyzing the cost-effectiveness of LEED certifications and two standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) – 189.1-2011 and 90.1-2010.

The federal government has 641 LEED-certified buildings and 3,954 in the certification process, according to the Green Building Council. Government buildings make up 27 percent of all LEED projects, The Federal Times reported.