WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The Montgomery County Council sidestepped the most controversial and expensive pieces of an aggressive environmental package for the county, but moved forward on four elements with a lower immediate impact.

Meeting in committees Thursday, the council put on hold a bill requiring homebuyers obtain a “home energy audit” as part of the initial home inspection. The audits, designed to inform potential buyers of the home’s energy efficiency, would cost $250 to $500.

“It’s a cost issue,” said Raquel Montenegro, a lobbyist for the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association. “The resale purchaser is generally very conscious of every dollar, and it should be at their discretion if they want the information.”

Montenegro said she was pleased the bills’ chief sponsor, Councilman Roger Berliner, would be meeting with constituents to discuss their issues with the legislation.

Also delayed was a bill requiring newly built homes and commercial buildings to meet federal standards for energy efficiency, and one bill requiring the use of biodiesel fuel in county vehicles. Berliner, who proposed the package of seven bills in November, said constituent concerns were causing the council to be more “reflective and responsible” about measures that impose a financial burden.

One worry came from home inspectors themselves, who said if energy audits were tied to home inspections, buyers would stop doing inspections altogether. The council committees moved forward with four bills designed in large part to require the county to reduce emissions 80 percent by 2050 and 25 percent by 2012. In addition, one of the bills creates a property tax credit up to $250 for home improvements leading to greater energy efficiency. Another would require the office of consumer protection to work with energy companies on “environmental stewardship.”

Montenegro, whom Berliner sarcastically called his “biggest fan,” remained skeptical. “What does ‘green’ mean?” she asked. “And to what level is that even achievable?”

The council is expected to rework the bills put on hold for now but make an effort to pass the entire package on Earth Day.

lfabel@dcexaminer.com