Could be a trend--million Energy Star homes

The EPA says there are now a million Energy Star homes in the U.S.

TEXAS CITIES LEAD

The top two cities in the nation for Energy Star ratings: Houston and Dallas. Then come Vegas, Phoenix and L.A. Partly this is the advantage of having a recent building boom. But it also shows the widely recognized advantages of an energy-efficient home.

Chicago and Minneapolis with their northerly climate did not even make the top twenty list of U.S. cities.

Says the EPA: "More than 1 million ENERGY STAR® homes have been built in the United States since the program first began labeling homes in 1995. Thanks to the dedication of our partners, families living in ENERGY STAR qualified homes will save more than $270 million this year on their utility bills, while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 370,000 vehicles."

Here's Heather's recent blog on the PA's Energy Star program.