Portland, Oregon-based realtor Kria Lacher has spearheaded an effort that promises to make searching for an energy-efficient home much simpler. Lacher wants to amend the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS) — a database owned and operated by a consortium of Portland-area real estate agents — to include energy and environmental performance criteria, such as ENERGY STAR, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Earth Advantage certification. Lacher’s proposal has the support of the city of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and Energy Trust of Oregon, and, if implemented, would be the first of its kind in the U.S. The RMLS board of directors will decide whether to incorporate energy efficiency search criteria this fall.

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