Go to the Pennsylvania C-PACE Website
June 21st, 2021
On June 10, 2021, Westmoreland County Commissioners approved a Resolution to implement Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE). The commissioners approved C-PACE to help owners of commercial, industrial, nonprofit and agricultural property with energy and water conservation projects. This program will also allow Westmoreland County property owners to access long term loans to pay for renewable energy systems, energy efficient equipment, and fixtures that reduce water consumption.
The Board of Commissioners approved the C-PACE resolution and authorized the County to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with Sustainable Energy Fund for the administration of the Program. The program administration will include the adoption of Program Guidelines and a possible fee structure to cover administrative costs of the county.
“C-PACE is going to make it easier for Westmoreland property owners to finance energy efficiency and water conservation projects,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. “We expect that it will breathe new life into older buildings as they’re retrofit to become efficient, desirable workplaces. That’s going to increase property values and help make Westmoreland County an even better place to do business.”
Now that a Resolution has been passed, Westmoreland County commercial businesses, agriculture interests, and nonprofits, with the aid of private capital providers, will be able to finance clean energy and water efficiency projects. The C-PACE program, offering as much as 100% financing, will save local constituencies money and energy, providing even greater opportunity to those with initiative.
“Sustainable Energy Fund is proud to offer its 20 years of experience in clean energy lending to Westmoreland County, allowing them to take advantage of this powerful new energy finance tool for bringing investment, jobs, and clean energy to their communities,” said John Costlow, President of SEF.
Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) is a financial tool for property owners to obtain low-cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation projects. C-PACE can facilitate a loan from private capital sources for a project by placing a voluntary special payment on the property’s annual tax bill that repays the cost of the upgrades. Nationally, more than $2 billion has been invested through PACE loans. In Pennsylvania, C-PACE investment could help retrofit one of the nation’s oldest building stocks and accelerate growth in a local energy efficiency industry that already accounts for 65,000 jobs.
For more information on program development, program guidelines, and links to the pre-application, visit https://westmorelandcountycpace.org. If you have a project and would like assistance finding a contractor or capital provider, contact SEF at (610) 264-4440.