Montgomery County, Maryland has just passed an ambitious plan requiring that all new-home construction meet the EPA's Energy Star standards. The county is just northwest of Washington, D.C. An editorial in today's Washington Post, "The Greening of Montgomery", explains how and why they got there:
"MONTGOMERY COUNTY is part of a merry and growing band of localities and states tired of waiting for federal leadership on climate change. It has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. To help meet that ambitious target, the County Council passed seven global-warming bills last month. One of them requires that new-home construction meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star standards. This will add to the price of a house, but the long-term savings and positive environmental impact will be worth it."
