Green Stimulus Package

So. We're hearing a lot about how the great white Stimulus Package will stimulate green living and green buildings.

Let's get down to specifics. What provisions, exactly is this Stimulus Package going to include for true green spending and investments? (See my prior post on "Green-washing".) I have been tracking a lot of different parts of it. But CNN/News has done a fine job of summarizing. Here are some of the excerpts from CNN's synopsis:

• Conservation programs: ($24 billion House, $15 billion Senate) -Conservation is the biggest single part of the green plan. ...For example, $12 billion would go toward ... and low- and middle-income homes. Upgrades would include replacing windows and adding insulation.
  ... The House version allocates $300 million to fund rebates for people to buy new efficient appliances. These can save up to 30% more power than traditional models, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.
  
• Home conservation: $4.3 billion - Homeowners are eligible for a tax credit for part of the cost of various efficiency measures like replacing an old furnace or adding better insulated windows.
  
• Small-scale renewable tax credits: $1 billion - Currently, if you buy a small windmill for your backyard, a solar hot water heater or a geothermal heating system you can write off 30% of the cost on your federal tax bill, capped at $2,000 for the heating systems and $4,000 for the wind turbine. This bill removes those caps, although the 30% limit remains

"Consumer Alert:" Please remember that Green-washing is the rule not the exception. Set your own criteria and expectations, and confirm with hard evidence that what you expect is what others have gotten.