How do Regional Priority credits function in LEED?

• A. They award points for addressing geographically specific environmental priorities, potentially adding up to four points.
• B. They require membership in a local green building council.
• C. They guarantee a minimum number of points.
• D. They are optional and do not affect scoring.

Answer: (A)

Regional Priority credits are a way for LEED to reward projects for tackling environmental issues that are especially important in the project’s region. The regional priority list identifies up to four credits per region that carry extra weight. If your project earns any of those underlying credits, you automatically receive the corresponding regional priority points, up to a total of four extra points. This mechanism directly adds to your total score, rather than being a separate requirement or a guarantee. It does not require membership in a local green building council, and you only receive the bonus points by meeting the specific credits on the regional list. If those regional credits aren’t earned, no regional priority points are awarded.