Oregon could get fed backing for home energy scores

Gov. Kulongoski was ahead of the curve when he proposed SB 79, requiring a home energy performance rating for every house on the market. The L.A. Times reported this weekend that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan wants an energy score for homes on the market and corresponding mortgage incentives to make energy efficiency improvements. He made the same comparison Kulongoski did, that knowing the efficiency of your home should be as easy as knowing the gas mileage of your car. That's good news for Oregon. The state can require as many energy certificates as it wants, but without sufficient buy-in from mortgage lenders or other financing programs, the retrofits and energy savings won't happen.