OXFORD — Casino developers won’t pursue “green” certification in the first phase of the planned resort in the town of Oxford, but they plan a highly efficient, energy-saving building, a co-developer says.

Rob Lally, an owner of Black Bear Entertainment and the group’s treasurer, said using green technology is an obvious choice. Conservation “makes great business sense,” he said.

He said new construction is an opportunity to use the most efficient materials. Consultants have told him Black Bear would be crazy not to.

Developers plan to use LEED standards, he said.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is an internationally recognized certification developed by the United States Green Building Council to verify that buildings meet standards in energy efficiency, water-saving and environmental factors.

Engineer Robert Berry of Main-Land Development said that while he’s been through LEED training, the focus right now is getting permits from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Maine Department of Transportation and the town of Oxford.

“We are committed to using sustainable, environmentally conscious design and construction practices,” Lally said.

Lally, a co-owner of Mt. Abram Ski Area in Greenwood, is planning a 1-acre field of solar panels at the ski area. He said a similar project for the casino is a “serious consideration” in later phases.

He said the owners want to get the casino operating before focusing on other aspects. By leaving future development open, they can gauge demand and build the resort smaller or larger than current projections, he said.

Casino opponents have pointed to recently built casinos across the United States that have underperformed in Mississippi and Connecticut. Lally said Black Bear has learned from the mistakes of those casinos.

“The only reason they got in trouble is because they overbuilt,” Lally said. “If you look at Foxwoods, that’s exactly what’s happened.”

Black Bear spokesman Mark Robinson said the investors have been touting a multi-phase project for more than a year.

“Black Bear intends to stick to its original plan of phased construction, so that the initial phase opens within the next year or so, with continuous work going until the project reaches full-planned build-out sometime within the next five years,” Robinson said in an e-mail Friday.

“It’s a master plan, one component of which is to create as many jobs as fast as possible,” he said.

The $164 million project is to be built on 100 acres on Route 26.

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