SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Some people in Syracuse spent their Earth Day learning about a green initiative making its way through the New York State legislature.

Representatives for the Working Families Party, along with other environmental and labor advocates, held a town hall meeting Wednesday about the proposed "Green Jobs/Green Homes" program. The program is designed to lower energy costs, combat climate change and create green jobs by making energy efficiency improvements to a million New York homes over the next five years.

Under the program, homeowners would work with contractors to make the improvements. Then they would pay for them out of the savings

from their utility bills.

"This will be for folks, lower to moderate income, who need the up-front costs that can come from this program. And they can pay it back over time as they realize the savings on their energy bill," said Dave Palmer, legislative campaigns director for the Working Families Party.

Advocates say they hope to have "Green Jobs/Green Homes" approved and up and running over the next six months.