Greensburg, KS, will have to cut through a lot of red tape before it can rebuild as the "greenest" rural town in America -- no matter how noble its plans.

Local building industry and government representatives are floating a unique and timely plan to rebuild the tornado-twisted town as a model of environmental sustainability by using green building materials, design and techniques.

They do have a clean slate.

A May 4th EF5 tornado, nearly two miles wide, with winds of up to 205 miles hour, cut a swath through the community, leveling 95 percent of the town's buildings and leaving the remainder uninhabitable. Twelve people were killed by the twister.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius Greensburg mayor, Lonnie McCollum, and Chris Kliewer, president of the Wichita chapter of the American Institute of Architects have discussed the rebuilding the town as an environmental model community, with renewable power, energy-efficient buildings and other possibilities.

"As long as we have to rebuild, why not look at ways that we can be the most energy efficient small community? Why go back to 1950s standards if you could build it to 21st Century standards?" Gov. Sebelius asked a reporter with the Lawrence, KS-based LJWorld.com.

The Kansas chapter of the American Institute of Architects and others have volunteered to help with the city's green planning as the south-central Kansas town of 1,400 recovers from the loss of more than 1,000 homes.

The nation's "Breadbasket," with its bio-fuels and wind power potential, certainly has the profile of a renewable energy frontier.

As the town enters uncharted territory it will sorely need its pioneer spirit.

First, there's the cost factor.

Homeowner insurance coverage and FEMA funds, even in a presidentially-declared disaster are, typically limit rebuilding to replacement value.

Even guaranteed replacement value coverage, where applicable, may not cover the cost of building new green homes because they cost approximately 3 to 5 percent or more than a traditionally built home. Mass-building may help offset that cost, but mass-building a town full of green homes and businesses in a sustainable environment is a plan without a model.

"I think someone needs to point out that it does cost more to build green residential. We cannot build a green home for what it costs to put up a cookie cutter, cheaply constructed home in a conventional subdivision with no thought given to environmental land use, low impact development, orientation, etc.," said Sherri DeRousse, during a discussion on green home building costs.

DeRousse, along with her husband Andi Guti, is developing the Bear Creek Prairie Conservation Community in Columbia, MO. They've worked two years to develop just 17 acres of prairie and woodlands with only 80 to 90 energy-efficient homes in a community designed to have limited impact on the environment.

Then there's the green definition factor.

Generally, building "green" refers to sustainable and conservation-minded materials, designs and technology; water, energy and natural resources conservation; less waste and healthier, more comfortable living in a more holistic manner.

But there are nearly 100 different local and state green building organizations as well as two standards under development on the national level.

Created in 1993, by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, offers benchmarks for designing, constructing and operating buildings, including homes, with a whole-building approach to sustainability in five key areas -- sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

More recently, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 2005 published the "Model Green Home Building Guidelines" as a green building certification tool, which it says is the "nationally recognized green building certification tool." NAHB and the International Code Council recently announced that they would develop and publish a formal residential green building standard manual.

Beyond state and federal officials, Greensburg likely will find corporate and private sponsors willing to help the town achieve its special dream.

Timing is also on Greensburg's side.

A Greening the Heartland Conference is scheduled this fall for Sept. 12 to 14 in Madison, WI.

With Greensburg's rebuilding efforts likely inserted in the pre-planned agenda, the conference is the Midwest's premier annual conference on green building and sustainability and will highlight sustainability innovations, programs and activities in the region.

The conference's first presentation is dead-on for the Greensburg plan -- "Creating Complete, Sustainable Neighborhoods Through Form-Based Codes."