Success Stories in Energy Efficiency

• We proposed and helped pass in 2008 a property tax credit of as much as $250 for Montgomery County residents when they take steps to make their homes more energy efficient.
• In 2008, more than 200 people came to energy efficiency house meetings led by Sierra Club volunteers. These meetings highlighted the top ten actions residents can take to reduce their energy use and save money. Residents left with ideas to reduce their energy use and their carbon footprint by 20 to 40 percent!
• We partnered with Home Perfomance with Energy Star in 2008 and provided education programs throughout the county on energy efficiency. We also sponsored demonstration home energy audits, providing practical information on energy saving tips for residents.
• Also in 2008, we lobbied for the successful passage of legislation that requires Montgomery County create and implement a Climate Protection Plan that sets as a target reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. Our members provided research and advice that shaped many of the recommendations in the Plan.
• New homes in Montgomery County built after January 2010, will be 20-30 percent more energy efficient because of our efforts to require "Energy Star" standards for new construction. When the local building industry association had this provision stripped out of the bill in committee, we informed county council members that other jurisdictions had passed similar bills. We also encouraged residents who had attended our energy efficiency house meetings to contact the county council. The result? The "Energy Star" provision was put back in! In a May 3, 2008 editorial, the Washington Post editorial applauded this provision as "the crown jewel of the legislation."

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