Construction officials were optimistic this spring, when a Senate committee approved an energy-efficiency bill with features deemed favorable to the industry. However, the measure may not make it to the Senate floor for a full vote by the end of the calendar year, observers say.

For one thing, time is limited. The Senate is scheduled to be in session for only about a dozen days before the end of December. "I think it will fall into next year," says Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).