Cape Elizabeth is making strides toward becoming more energy efficient.

On Monday, town councilors will consider two proposals – one to reduce the impact of the school and municipal departments and the other to give residents the option of becoming more energy-efficient at their homes.

The council will vote to establish the Cape Elizabeth Alternative Energy Committee, which, if passed, would be made up of volunteers who will explore the town’s options for reducing its impact on the environment.

Residents, too, may be allowed to start exploring their options in the fall, when the council will request a report back from the planning board to look at ordinance changes that would allow the construction of energy efficient structures, such as small wind turbines and solar panels, to be built at their homes.

The proposals are timely, as Scarborough is also considering how to regulate the construction of energy-efficient structures in residential neighborhoods, after Laurence Gardner erected five free-standing solar panels in his yard, eliciting the ire of his Grondin Pond neighbors, who said the structures ruined their view.

While in Scarborough, the construction complied with building codes, Town Manager Mike McGovern said the way Cape Elizabeth’s ordinances work, “if something’s not specifically allowed, it’s not allowed.”

McGovern said the town is not responding to the debate in Scarborough, but to requests from its own residents.

“We get inquiries for wind mills from time to time,” McGovern said. He said the council and the planning board will look at whether such structures should be allowed at all and if so, what standards should apply.

Though rules for residential structures may not be established until January, McGovern believes councilors will be quick to approve the alternative energy committee. According to McGovern, it has been one of the goals of the council to reduce energy use by the town and the schools.