Environmental groups, window makers battle over energy tax break

Hoping to create jobs and reduce carbon emissions, lawmakers used the stimulus package to expand a tax break to encourage homeowners to make energy efficiency improvements.The change was a potential windfall for window manufacturers, because the larger break would likely spur the installation of new windows, the most popular way of accessing the credit. The break, in place since 2005, had been capped at $200 of the total cost to purchase replacement windows, and $500 for making more expensive efficiency upgrades like replacing an old furnace. The stimulus raised the cap per home to $1,500 for all products, according to a March 14 report.

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