Taxing The Rich And Famous For Energy

9 January 2003 - 6:01am

Luxury homes in the Aspen area are taxed as part of a plan to finance green projects.

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"Revised building codes in Aspen Colorado assess a mitigation fee of up to $100,000 if newly built homes are constructed without renewable energy features like solar panels...Mr. Trowne says it's unfair to single out a small number of wealthy homeowners. Yet few of the vacation homeowners themselves have complained, partly because, as part-time residents, they can't vote locally. It also seems that $50,000 fees barely register on the radar screens of those who can afford heating bills that dwarf most Americans' mortgage payments."

Source: The Christian Science Monitor, October 4, 2005