The Connecticut Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority has one-time grants up to $10,000 for business agencies in municipalities participating in the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy program.

With C-PACE, businesses receive low-cost financing to install renewable energy or make energy efficiency improvements. The loan payments are made on a business’s municipal property tax bill, and the payments always are less than the energy savings on the project. Read full story.

Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) programs, for residential and commercial properties, were in development throughout the United States when the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sought to impose limits on such residential PACE assessments. The FHFA directed  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac not to acquire mortgages on properties with PACE liens and to suggest additional measures negative to residential PACE programs.

Western Riverside Council of Government’s (WRCOG) HERO Program, however, continues to thrive, for residential property financing, thanks to the determination of WRCOG to provide this valuable program to its constituents. A commercial program was recently launched, and WRCOG is also expanding both its residential and commercial program statewide, offering many benefits to other jurisdictions thinking of offering a PACE program. Read full article.

This article written by JP McNeil, CEO of HERO Financing and Mahesh Shaw, CEO of FIGTREE Energy Financing

More and more municipalities are embracing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs as a valuable service they can offer to residents at no cost to the public coffers.

PACE makes it possible for property owners to finance certain energy-efficient upgrades through their property taxes and to pay for these improvements slowly over 5 to 20 years, depending on the cost and type of project. Because the financing mechanism is tied to a property owner’s assessments, the interest paid is tax deductible. And the upgrades often lower utility bills so significantly that the there is no net cost to the property owner on an annual basis. Read full story.

In the May 8 Desert Sun, Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone took issue with the Coachella Valley Association of Government’s selection of Ygrene Energy to provide a PACE program to the Coachella Valley.

PACE (property assessed clean energy) programs provide a financing mechanism to allow property owners to finance solar panels and an array of other energy-efficiency projects and pay them back through their property taxes. Read more.

The Texas House and Senate passed Senate Bill 385 this week. If Governor Rick Perry approves the bill, the state will break new ground by developing plans for commercial and industrial property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs. This bill will redesign Texas’s approach to PACE, focusing on the commercial and industrial sectors rather than on residential programs. The legislation covers both energy efficiency and water efficiency. Read full story.

Ygrene Energy Fund, a leading provider of commercial and residential energy upgrade programs for local governments, today announced the addition of two members to its senior leadership team. Joining the company are John Hudson as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Jason Mittelstaedt as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Strategy. Read more.

On May 14, the House Finance Committee heard a bill that allows homeowners to borrow against their residence to pay for renewable-energy and energy-efficiency upgrades. The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program allows homeowners to pay for energy projects through their city or town as the do for property taxes or a sewer assessment. A municipality must first approve the program. Read full story.

During City Council’s regular meeting Monday night, a resolution was adopted authorizing Mayor Ryan Bingham on the behalf of the city, to enter into a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) Agreement with the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA).

According to the program’s website, C-PACE is, “an innovative program that is helping commercial, industrial and multi-family property owners access affordable, long-term financing for smart energy upgrades to their buildings.”

That means CEFIA, formally the CT Clean Energy Fund, helps property owners make clean energy upgrades with the understanding that they will repay the cost overtime out of the energy savings.

“Legislation passed in June 2012 allows interested municipalities to opt in to this financing program,” according to the website. Read full story.

What projects are coming up for the water agency and Sonoma Clean Power?

Amy Bolten: There are two likely modes of project development for Sonoma Clean Power — public development through the water agency and private project development.The water agency is working on a number of solar photovoltaic projects that could supply electricity to Sonoma Clean Power. The furthest along is a 20-megawatt solar project at the Charles M. Schultz–Sonoma County Airport. Three other solar projects are in the planning stages in other areas of the county.

In addition, the water agency is evaluating biomass as a means to utilize agricultural and poultry waste to produce electricity.

For private business, landowners and residents, Sonoma Clean Power would also provide a stable off-taker for renewable electricity produced by local projects which could incentivize project development.

Read full story.

A $65,000 energy-saving  project at the Kerrytown Market & Shops in downtown Ann Arbor is expected to save tenants anywhere from $500 to $5,000 a year on their electric bills.

The project is one of four being funded this year though a special assessment district set up by the city that allows businesses to get long-term, lower-cost loans to make energy improvements. including lighting, insulation, heating and cooling systems, reducing water use and adding renewable energy sources, such as solar and geothermal.

Ann Arbor was the first municipality in Michigan to set up a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) district under legislation passed in 2010, but the idea is starting to catch on elsewhere. Read more.