Ever since the late ’70s when energy pioneer Doug Seiter coined the phrase “green building” while developing and directing the country’s first green building program in Austin, Texas, home builders there have quietly gone about the business of growing their state into one of the leading markets in the sustainable building industry. With strong HBA programs and alliances, and builders who early-on had the foresight to lead their companies and communities to a greener future, it’s no surprise to find a vein of deep-green commitment among industry leaders there.From its roots in Austin, green building in Texas has gained momentum among builders and buyers in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio to the point where Texas leads the nation in Energy Star-qualified homes, and its legacy of strong local programs like Green Built Texas and the Houston HBA’s Green Building Initiative continues to grow.

On Feb. 9, the Texas industry will convene for its Second Annual Texas Green Building Summit in Dallas, where nationally recognized green architects, builders, building scientists, and policymakers will share their expertise and insights with attendees.

The one-day conference will include keynote addresses by USGBC president and CEO Rick Fedrizzi and HKS CEO Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, and presentations by a slate of experts covering a wide range of topics related to new and existing residential and commercial buildings. Among the numerous notable speakers are architect Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, GreenCraft Builders’ Chris Miles, USGBC’s Nate Kredich, Balfour Beatty Construction’s Walt Massey, Dallas HBA’s Phil Crone, veteran green Realtor Mychele Lord, and Dallas mayor and former Turner Construction CEO Tom Leppert.

“I’m looking forward to building on the momentum that came out of last year’s Summit,” says Crone. “A full day of seminars from industry leaders and the broadening of our scope this year to include the commercial sector provide the ingredients for a valuable learning opportunity and perhaps a national model.”

The Texas Green Building Summit is a collaboration between the HBA of Greater Dallas, the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, Green Built Texas, and the U.S. Green Building Council and its LEED for Homes program.

For more information on the Texas Green Building Summit, or to register to attend, go to www.texasgreenhomesummit.com.