MGM Mirage's CityCenter project going up right on the Las Vegas Strip received some very good news from the U.S. Green Building Council. The mammoth upscale undertaking won't open until December, but an otherwise tough year for the gaming firm is finally showing a peek of the sunny side of things as finishing touches are being applied there.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, gold certification for the development it has sought from the onset has been granted for some of the components, including the non-gaming condominium and hotel tower Vdara. Receiving the same is the 4,000-room hotel Aria and its convention center and theater. CityCenter is also applying for the certificate for the rest of the project, like the Veer Towers condos and the Mandarin Oriental hotel.

Some of the areas where LEED applies there are the use of recycled and sustainable materials and strong energy and water efficiency measures. For instance, CityCenter will churn out its own energy with a reduced-emissions natural gas co-generation plant. That and other energy-trimming features are supposed to save annually what 8,800 households normally consume. That's something to take note of.

Las Vegas valley - with thriving communities like Summerlin, Henderson, Sunrise Manor, Anthem and Whitney - has a few businesses with LEED credentials, but CityCenter is unique due to its size. Palazzo with over 3,000 rooms built by Las Vegas Sands in 2008 is another major resort in town that has achieved LEED, its version being silver. It's encouraging to see that major casino developers here are increasingly putting their arms around the green building concept.

They, Southern Nevada gaming operators, can readily identify with the benefits it brings.Cost savings is a given. No doubt about that. Green building idea is slowly gaining traction as the nation is seeking to wean itself off fossil fuels. Consumers will begin appreciating resorts in Las Vegas, and elsewhere, that are energy efficiency conscious and predictably prefer to patronize them. In essence, it's a novel marketing tool as well. Getting LEED then is a win win model on many fronts.