House Passes HOME STAR Energy Retrofit Act In Bipartisan Vote 246-161

Yesterday the House of Representatives passed the HOME STAR Energy Retrofit Act in a bipartisan vote of 246-161.

For those of you who may not know about the act, it is a $6 billion program that is designed to give people a financial incentive to make green changes to their homes and includes homeowner rebates up to $8,000 on certain energy-efficient retro-fits, for one. Of course it's a bit more complicated than that (and there is still debate on whether this is the "next best thing," or just another economic miss-step) but that's the basic gist. You can learn more here: Efficiency First.org. And of course you can check out the buzz and read some of the pro/con debates about the bill by Googling, "HOME STAR," or the bill number, which is H.R. 5019.

If you are curious what happens next, well of course the next step will be the Senate, and according to an article on grist.com, "The coalition is optimistic about the bill's fate. They expect a Senate vote, conference committee, appropriations, and a presidential signature by Memorial Day."

What do you think about this recent news? How do you think the energy bill could potentionally impact you, your family, your business, the earth? Speak up or speak out below. As always, stay-tuned here for more updates.

Read More
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h5019/show
http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/home-star/
USA Today Article