An Update on HOME STAR Legislation

Important HOME STAR legislation was left on the plate as the Senate took a recess until after the November elections. Efficiency First has expressed their concerns to HOME STAR’s main sponsors Senators Bingaman (NM-D), Snowe (ME-R) and Warner (VA-D), as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. To their credit, those senators quickly stood behind HOME STAR by publicly calling for the passage of HOME STAR when Congress comes back for a "lame duck" session after the election.

The odds of a 2010 HOME STAR bill depend largely on election results and Senate floor politics.

Efficiency First continues to call on Congress to make sure that partisan politics do not delay HOME STAR any longer. The President called again for the passage of HOME STAR this week in a meeting of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB). The support from the White House continues to shore-up hope for passage this year. It's important to recognize that this bill should not be about party politics, but is about potentially creating jobs for tens of thousands of workers in the construction trades and creating a positive program that will benefit homeowners in reducing energy consumption and, ultimately, creating fewer greenhouse gas emissions; something that is unarguably good for the planet.

Efficiency First is working for the Home Performance industry. Just some of the examples of how we are achieving this includes conducting 551 meetings with U.S. senators and senior Senate staff; working with 181 contractors in Washington, DC, over the past year to show support of HOME STAR; building the HOME STAR Coalition to nearly 3,000 companies; writing 231 letters to the editor, submitting them to local papers and holding 41 interviews with national newspapers; placing 19,000-plus calls by the Home Performance workforce into the U.S. Senate; and organizing 81 district meetings with Senate offices from Alaska to Maine.

How You Can Help

If you are contractor or company working in the energy field, join Efficiency First and stand with the companies of the HOME STAR Coalition, like SENON. Write a letter to your congressman or senator showing your concern and support for this important legislation.