Proposals to have Niagara County join a move toward "green" energy are making their way through the County Legislature.

Measures recommended by the Working Families Party and introduced by six lawmakers call for pledging Niagara County to buying a fixed percentage of any wind-generated electricity produced in the county.

Also proposed is a law that would require the county to buy federally certified energy saving products, such as appliances, when available.

A third proposal calls for an analysis of the county's vehicle fleet to see which cars or trucks could be retrofitted to burn less-polluting fuels.

The sponsors include the five members of the minority Democratic caucus, along with W. Keith McNall, R-Lockport.

The Legislature approved a measure introduced last year by Legislator Jason J. Murgia, a Democrat who caucuses with the Republicans, that would have required the county to adopt the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, building standards for all new construction projects.

The new proposals are currently before the Administration Committee, headed by Murgia, and are to be discussed at its Feb. 26 meeting. He could not be reached to comment Friday.

Louisa Pacheco, lead organizer for the Working Families Party in Western New York, said the party's issues committee met last month with the legislators who ran on its ballot line in 2007 and won their agreement to sponsor the measures.

"It's part of our questionnaire when we interview candidates: green jobs, green energy," said Sam Williams, state co-chairman of the party and chief of the Community Action Program at United Auto Workers Region 9, based in Cheektowaga.

"Not one legislator has come up to me and objected to them. They're good resolutions," said the lead sponsor, Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls.

The proposal to buy so-called Energy Star appliances would require a public hearing.

Kalyani Thampi, spokes - woman for the Center for Working Families, the Working Families Party's public advocacy and policy arm, said it is promoting environmentally sound, or "green," policies through all elected officials who run under the Working Families banner.

Thampi said that last year, Erie County adopted green policies similar to those now under consideration in Niagara County.

She said Monroe County, the City of Syracuse and the Town of Babylon on Long Island all have adopted some or all of the initiatives.

"There is definitely an up-front cost, but we see long-term benefits," Thampi said.

"Green" buildings cost more to construct, but their more efficient systems can save on utility bills and reduce carbon emissions, according to data from the center. Increased demand for such products can create jobs, Thampi said.

"The green industry is the new industry for the new century," she said.

tprohaska@buffnews.com