UP earns Silver LEED certification for Nebraska headquarters

The U.S. Green Building Council has granted a Silver LEED certification to Union Pacific Center, Union Pacific Railroad’s headquarters in Omaha, Neb.

The 19-story, 1.3 million square-foot building is the largest LEED-certified building in Nebraska and just the second building in the state to earn LEED Existing Building certification, UP officials said in a prepared statement. The building was completed in 2004 and can house 4,000 employees.

In addition, Union Pacific Center's current 76 ENERGY STAR rating means the facility is more energy efficient than 76 percent of similar U.S. office buildings, UP officials said.

"Wise energy use is just as important in our office buildings as it is operating our trains," said UP Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Young.

UP received the LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification by:
• completing projects that save 741,455 kilowatt hours annually, reducing energy consumption by 3 percent;
• reducing potable water consumption by 550,000 gallons in 2011 compared with 2010;
• improving the building's energy efficiency using light bulbs that have 50 percent less mercury content and longer life, as well as LED lighting that eliminates mercury;
• recycling 81 percent of all construction waste;
• purchasing office furnishings that meet certain sustainability criteria;
• increasing solid waste recycling from 53 percent to 68 percent; and
• implementing a green cleaning program that employs sustainable cleaning products.