Gore home gets "green" upgrade

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Al Gore, the environmental activist stung by criticism over his home's energy efficiency, says renovations are nearly complete to make it a model "green" home.

"This plan has been in the works for a long time," the former vice president said Friday. "The only thing that has changed is that we're more public about it because of the misleading attack by a global-warming denier group."

Earlier this year, a conservative group criticized Gore, citing electric bills that were far more than the typical Nashville home. Utility records showed the Gore family paid an average monthly electric bill of about $1,200 last year for its 10,000-square-foot home.

Gore's renovation project, which he said has been in the works for months, seeks to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Once his upscale neighborhood changed zoning laws earlier this year, Gore was able to place solar panels on his roof, and he's preparing to install a geothermal system that will, among other things, drastically reduce the cost of heating his pool.

Gore also is upgrading windows and ductwork, installing more energy-efficient light bulbs and creating a rainwater-collection system for irrigation and water management.

The home houses offices for Gore and his wife, Tipper, and a commercial kitchen for formal events.

Drew Johnson, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, the group that initially criticized Gore, said the "renovations are obviously in direct response to our finding that he's a hypocrite on the issue of global warming."