U.S. House Passes HOME STAR Legislation

HOME STAR wins with Broad Public Support

Bolstered by support from an unprecedented coalition of business and political leaders, the HOME STAR legislation (H.R. 5019) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 246 to 161.

The legislation proposes to create two rebate programs, one for specified energy-saving improvements and one for whole-home energy use reductions. HOME STAR would also grant money to states for complementary financing programs and funds administration and technical support through states and the Department of Energy (DOE).

The Role for Utilities in HOME STAR

HOME STAR is likely to provide new savings opportunities for some systems and their customers. The latest program outline proposes the development of a network of “rebate aggregators” to provide back-end support such as reviewing rebate applications and facilitating the delivery of rebates. Entities would also be selected to perform quality assurance audits. Utilities that already have residential retrofit programs, have established quality assurance provider networks or demonstrate that they can perform these functions are among those eligible to apply to be rebate aggregators and quality assurance implementers. Utilities are also able to participate as “qualified financing entities.” The proposal directs the U.S. Department of Energy to develop guidelines that allow participating utilities to count the energy savings towards State-level energy savings targets.

Better Homes, New Careers

The measure couldn’t come quickly enough. The burst of the housing bubble leveled the construction industry and put 2.1 million construction workers out of work. HOME STAR will put those workers back on track by creating immediate jobs that capture their skills.

These new careers in home energy performance will continue to bring savings to individual homeowners, jobs in construction and manufacturing, and billions of dollars in avoided energy costs back into our economy each year.

What's Next for HOME STAR?

The "Yes" vote in the U.S. House of Representatives was an important step for in making American homes more energy-efficient. Now, the Senate must follow in the House's footsteps.

A date for a vote on HOME STAR on the Senate floor has not yet been announced. But check back with CEEP's blog for more updates, or sign up for our newsletter - KEEP Up with CEEP!