[The bill in question, bill 30-07, can be found on the Montgomery County Council website or downloaded here (pdf). It was one of a set of bills approved by the council in honor of Earth Day. The EPA has a lot of reference material on green buildings (including information on writing policy) and how governments can be more energy-efficient.
This is an EXCERPT - read the whole article here.-Ed.]

by Ann E. Marimow

"New homes built in Montgomery County [Md.] would have to meet federal energy efficiency standards under innovative legislation approved yesterday by the County Council over the objections of builders who said that the mandate would drive up costs for consumers.

"The measure, meant to reduce energy consumption by 15 to 30 percent, is part of a far-reaching environmental initiative. It includes property tax credits for residents who switch to renewable energy, a requirement that residents disclose utility costs when they sell a home and a plan to get county officials to trade in their government-issued sport-utility vehicles."

"Developers in the Washington region have been voluntarily building homes with energy-efficient appliances and heating and cooling systems. But Montgomery officials said the county would become the first in the country to require that new single-family homes and townhouses meet Energy Star standards created by the Environmental Protection Agency to encourage the use of energy-efficient windows, tightly sealed structures and effective insulation. Oregon, a Dallas suburb and Gaithersburg have similar programs."

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