Is Congress Developing a Green Thumb?

The Engineering News-Record notes that with the rise in energy prices, building green has become a hot topic on Capitol Hill. There are at least 29 bills before one or both chambers of Congress that promote energy efficiency and environmentally sound design and construction. Unfortunately, any bill not approved before adjournment will have to be introduced in the 110th Congress.

Carol Werner, executive director of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, says there has been a strong push for a few green bills in recent weeks. "We are running short on legislative days, but the lead sponsors of a few of these bills are hopeful that they can make a good run for it and get these to the floor," she says."

Meanwhile, Bill Prindle, deputy director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, disagrees.

"I don't see any of those bills having legs," he said. "There's no energy legislation that's likely to pass this year. Time is running out and the Senate and House have different ways of seeing the issues. I don't know that they'll come to any agreement on anything."

For the complete ENR article, see here.

For more in-depth coverage of green building, visit GreenSource, McGraw-Hill Construction's online directory dedicated to sustainable design, practice, and products.

For a discussion of the interrelationship between mix-used planning and green building, see Jonathan Groner's recent post at Womble Carlyle's Mixed Use Development Blog.