To my green friends: Who is killing the PACE Program?

by Mike Stark

(first published Friday, Sept. 17, 2010 at StarkReports.com)

The PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program is simple and brilliant:  Cities borrow money using their credit and then make that money available to homeowners who, in turn, use it to install solar systems and other green technologies.  The money given to homeowners is paid back by special assessments on their property taxes.

By all accounts, the PACE program is remarkably successful:  It's been adopted by 23 states and the District of Columbia.  It creates jobs, lowers utility bills for homeowners, cuts pollution and easily transfers to new homeowners when homes change hands.

continued at Daily Kos....

Renewable Energy: The left hand giveth while the right hand taketh away.

by jpmassar

PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) is an acronym for a set of programs designed to allow homeowners to finance renewable energy systems in their homes.

It is conceptually quite simple: Instead of a homeowner having to borrow $20,000 for a solar energy system (or come up with it out-of-pocket), and then get partial rebates or tax credits, the city, county or state where the owner lives would front the money (using funds typically raised from bonds).  The homeowner would pay back the money so lent over a period of years through an additional property tax assessment, so much per year.  If the property is sold, the tax assessment remains -- the debt is transferred to the new owner.

continued at Daily Kos....