News

It’s finally done.

Congress has passed a tax extenders package that renews the Section 179D energy-efficient building deduction for two years — 2015 and 2016. (The 2015 renewal applies retroactively to buildings placed into service since the beginning of this year.)

The Architectural Billings Index dropped into negative territory in November, dropping to 49.3 from the October mark of 53.1.

Congress gave itself an extension Friday, passing a five-day continuing resolution that will keep the government open until Dec. 16, when it hopes to pass a package that bundles the year-end spending bill with a host of other provisions.

As their part of the United Nations’ Cop21 climate talks in Paris, the U.S. Green Building Council made a commitment to increase green building it certifies to more than 5 billion square feet (478 million square meters) over the next five years.

Construction employment is at its highest level since January 2009, the Associated General Contractors of America report, adding 46,000 workers in November, while unemployment in the sector dropped to 6.2 percent.

Expanding demand and the prospect of new federal highway legislation have spurred construction firms to add 46,000 workers in November — the biggest monthly gain in employment for the sector since January 2014, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.

The American Institute of Architects issued a statement criticizing the House of Representatives for passing a bill that will repeal targets for limiting fossil fuel consumption in federal buildings that had been passed in 2007.

Big package under the tree?