Regulation ChangeLiveLive Regulation
USACE Revokes LEED Requirement in ECB 2026-3, Transitions to CEQ Guiding Principles
LEED CertificationU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)US
Announced
Jan 30, 2026
Effective
Jan 30, 2026
Implementation
Jan 30, 2026
Description
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued Engineering and Construction Bulletin (ECB) No. 2026-3 on January 30, 2026, directing projects to immediately transition away from the LEED rating system and toward the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 2020 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings checklists. Projects that had already registered for LEED certification and were awarded a construction contract with third-party certification costs prior to December 19, 2025 may continue to use LEED while an internal compliance verification process is developed. This change reflects Executive Order effects on existing sustainability policies and High Performance and Sustainable Building Requirements (HPSB). Federal construction projects under USACE jurisdiction must now follow CEQ 2020 Guiding Principles rather than LEED certification pathways.
Key Findings
USACE Revokes LEED Requirement in ECB 2026-3, Transitions to CEQ Guiding Principles
eporting” page. 6. Date of Applicability. This ECB is effective immediately. 7. Update. This ECB will be incorporated into UFC 1-200-02. 8. Point of Contact. HQUSACE point of contact for this ECB is Edward Citzler, AIA, CECW-EC, (817) 876-2294. //S// THOMAS P. SMITH, P.E. Director of Engineering and Construction U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2