Green building continues to pick up steam nationwide.But officials in the nation's capital are grappling with how to bring its groundbreaking Green Building Act of 2006 in line with the demands and requirements of the construction industry.

The heart of the problem is the idea of a "green" surety bond. Come 2012, building projects in Washington, D.C., are supposed to achieve specific green building standards.

 But companies that issue surety bonds -- which are key risk-mitigation tools in the construction field -- are wary of bonding a project that guarantees energy efficiencies are requires third-party certification, as most green building projects do. Surety bonds are basically three-party agreements that ensure projects are completed to meet the requirements spelled out in a contract.

To dig deeper into the issue, the Surety Bonds Education Center recently spoke with Chris Cheatham, a Washington, D.C., construction attorney, LEED accredited professional and green building expert.

 Cheatham keeps close watch of green developments at his blog, Green Building Law Update.

You can listen to the Q-and-A with Chris Cheatham here.