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Agenda Item
15. Recommendation to approve, pursuant to NRS 271.6312, a resolution for the creation and administration of a district, which shall constitute the entire jurisdictional boundaries of the County, with the purpose of allowing the financing of one or more Qualifying Improvement Projects with willing owners of Qualifying Commercial or Industrial Real Property ("District"); and a program generally known as a "Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program" or "C-PACE Program", and to establish an administrative fee to be charged to cover the actual costs of reviewing applications. Manager's Office. (All Commission Districts.) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
I would love to see the C-PACE proposal approved. We have a lot of work to do to increase energy efficiency and clean up our energy use. Help with financing mechanisms are really smart policy. Please approve this proposal!
I'm Dr. Bill Miller, deeply concerned about the worsening climate crisis brought about by the burning fossil fuels--which, globally, is still increasing every year--which is suicidal. I am heartened by the C-PACE proposal incentivizing the installation of renewable technology and increasing energy efficiency for local businesses. This is a win-win deal for our business community and for our climate. I strongly urge the council to approve this plan.
For me the most exciting benefit of C-PACE is “lower-interest financing that allows companies to install state-of-the-art renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies to reap long-term savings.”
A group of us have been trying to figure out how to incentivize the new warehousing that has moved into Washoe County into purchasing solar arrays for their rooftops. The C-PACE program provides this incentive.
If we can get one warehouse to install solar on its rooftop through C-PACE, we think the word of the financial and energy savings benefits of this will spread to other warehouses. And they in turn will give this C-PACE program a try.
Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program allows for more accessible funding and opportunity for commercial business to venture into energy efficiency upgrades/footprint designs, renewable energy, water conservation, or other energy/resiliency projects in the great state of NV. Please support! Respectfully, Rose Wolterbeek, resident and homeowner, Washoe County
My name is Bari Levinson, a member of Sierra Club Great Basin Group. Sierra Club is in full support of the proposed C-PACE program.
As has become abundantly clear, our planet is in a worsening climate crisis due to the burning of fossil fuels. So we need to do everything possible to reduce our use of fossil fuels and the resultant greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the Reno City Website, commercial buildings contribute 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in our city. Based on a 2010 study, the most recently available data, commercial buildings contribute 26% in Washoe County.
So one of the best ways to tackle the climate crisis is to reduce these GHG emissions from commercial buildings.
The proposed C-Pace program will go a long way toward this goal, by incentivizing commercial building owners to make improvements to their properties that will improve energy efficiency, resiliency, and increase renewable energy. This policy is a win-win-win for businesses, the county and the environment. Building owners will enjoy lower energy bills by harnessing energy efficiency and solar energy from their own roofs; the grid will be made more resilient by reductions in demand as well as through energy storage devices such as batteries; the county will benefit through lower greenhouse gas emissions helping it to meet its 2050 targets.
Importantly, the program includes a funding mechanism to minimize administrative costs to the county.
For these compelling reasons, Sierra Club is in 100% full support of the C-PACE program.
Please help Washoe County in its efforts to combat climate change and save local businesses money in the process.
I ask that the Board of County Commissioners pass the resolution for the creation of C-PACE. Creating access for private industry to take climate-responsible actions helps reduce carbon emissions and promotes sustainability efforts. The impact of these efforts will be far-reaching as we strive to protect the people, wildlife, and environments of our local communities as well as our planet at large, both at present and into the future. Thank you for your consideration.
Natasha Majewski, Climate and Energy Consultant for the Nevada Wildlife Federation. Reno, NV 89502.
Hello, for the record, my name is Armen Ekmekji and I work as Vice President of Strategy & Site Development for Weber Metals, Inc. Weber recently acquired the legacy "Viking Metallurgical" facility in Verdi and is currently in the process of rehabilitating the site for future operations. Our parent Company Otto Fuchs, KG, takes environmental stewardship very seriously and has a long-term view on carbon neutrality and sustainability. Weber has always been forward-looking with respect to environmental management having to comply with strict Air Quality and environmental regulations at its main plant in Southern California. Seeking an increase use of Clean Energy and energy-efficient equipment is very important to us but often the CapEx and OpEx costs can be restrictive in making faster headway. C-PACE funding would help incentive companies like Weber to pursue more energy reducing projects. Especially interesting are the less-restrictive covenants placed on the loans and the ability to fund projects retrospectively.
Thank you for your consideration.
My name is David Titzel and I am a 35 year Reno resident. I am commenting to request support for the C-PACE program. I like that this program incentivizes private capital to increase building efficiency. Buildings are a large contributor to climate warming pollution and an important sector to address.
I urge Washoe County to always consider the environment when making policy decisions. All these little steps in the right direction will help us solve our climate crisis and environmental degradation.
Thank you for you for your public service and the opportunity to comment.
For the record, my name is Janet Nelson, a Reno resident. On agenda item 15, I am in favor of C-PACE. This low cost, long term funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects is needed to knock down barriers to and enhance the use of clean energy. As an older senior citizen, I hope to witness the demise of the fossil fuel industry, which is harmful to our lives and our planet. Thank you.
For the record, my name is Cliff Kellogg, and I am the Executive Director of the C-PACE Alliance. a business association of capital providers that have invested in the vast majority of C-PACE projects nationally. I am commenting IN SUPPORT of this resolution.
I’d like to say a few words about why C-PACE can be an important economic development tool in Nevada. C-PACE is an alternative source of financing for commercial properties (all properties excluding single-family dwellings). Property owners use C-PACE to pay for the any cost related to energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy generation, and resiliency. Property owners can use C-PACE to pay for items such as HVAC, efficient windows and doors, temperature control systems, roofing, elevators, and solar panels. No public dollars or taxpayer funds are used in C-PACE financing.
36 states have authorized C-PACE, and to date, more than $5B has been invested in 3,000 properties.
The advantages of C-PACE include: 100% financing for retrofit projects and 20-25% of new construction projects; fixed interest rates; long repayment period.
Property owners make their repayments together with their property tax bill. This does not replace bank financing; in fact, this bill requires the prior approval from any existing mortgage-holder on the property as a precondition to the financing.
No public funds or public credit are involved. All the funds come from private capital providers and banks. Traditional commercial lenders often leave a gap in the needed total amount of financing necessary to undertake a project. C-PACE financing is often the lowest-cost source to fill that gap.
In the midst of the current recession, C-PACE can be used to refinance projects that were recently completed. Property owners can refinance existing financing or the owner-paid improvements. Refinancing allows property owners to improve cash flow and strengthen the property owner’s business operations. All with no budget cost to government.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer comments IN SUPPORT of this resolution.
I would love to see the C-PACE proposal approved. We have a lot of work to do to increase energy efficiency and clean up our energy use. Help with financing mechanisms are really smart policy. Please approve this proposal!
I'm Dr. Bill Miller, deeply concerned about the worsening climate crisis brought about by the burning fossil fuels--which, globally, is still increasing every year--which is suicidal. I am heartened by the C-PACE proposal incentivizing the installation of renewable technology and increasing energy efficiency for local businesses. This is a win-win deal for our business community and for our climate. I strongly urge the council to approve this plan.
For me the most exciting benefit of C-PACE is “lower-interest financing that allows companies to install state-of-the-art renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies to reap long-term savings.”
A group of us have been trying to figure out how to incentivize the new warehousing that has moved into Washoe County into purchasing solar arrays for their rooftops. The C-PACE program provides this incentive.
If we can get one warehouse to install solar on its rooftop through C-PACE, we think the word of the financial and energy savings benefits of this will spread to other warehouses. And they in turn will give this C-PACE program a try.
Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program allows for more accessible funding and opportunity for commercial business to venture into energy efficiency upgrades/footprint designs, renewable energy, water conservation, or other energy/resiliency projects in the great state of NV. Please support! Respectfully, Rose Wolterbeek, resident and homeowner, Washoe County
My name is Bari Levinson, a member of Sierra Club Great Basin Group. Sierra Club is in full support of the proposed C-PACE program.
As has become abundantly clear, our planet is in a worsening climate crisis due to the burning of fossil fuels. So we need to do everything possible to reduce our use of fossil fuels and the resultant greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the Reno City Website, commercial buildings contribute 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in our city. Based on a 2010 study, the most recently available data, commercial buildings contribute 26% in Washoe County.
So one of the best ways to tackle the climate crisis is to reduce these GHG emissions from commercial buildings.
The proposed C-Pace program will go a long way toward this goal, by incentivizing commercial building owners to make improvements to their properties that will improve energy efficiency, resiliency, and increase renewable energy. This policy is a win-win-win for businesses, the county and the environment. Building owners will enjoy lower energy bills by harnessing energy efficiency and solar energy from their own roofs; the grid will be made more resilient by reductions in demand as well as through energy storage devices such as batteries; the county will benefit through lower greenhouse gas emissions helping it to meet its 2050 targets.
Importantly, the program includes a funding mechanism to minimize administrative costs to the county.
For these compelling reasons, Sierra Club is in 100% full support of the C-PACE program.
Please help Washoe County in its efforts to combat climate change and save local businesses money in the process.
I ask that the Board of County Commissioners pass the resolution for the creation of C-PACE. Creating access for private industry to take climate-responsible actions helps reduce carbon emissions and promotes sustainability efforts. The impact of these efforts will be far-reaching as we strive to protect the people, wildlife, and environments of our local communities as well as our planet at large, both at present and into the future. Thank you for your consideration.
Natasha Majewski, Climate and Energy Consultant for the Nevada Wildlife Federation. Reno, NV 89502.
Hello, for the record, my name is Armen Ekmekji and I work as Vice President of Strategy & Site Development for Weber Metals, Inc. Weber recently acquired the legacy "Viking Metallurgical" facility in Verdi and is currently in the process of rehabilitating the site for future operations. Our parent Company Otto Fuchs, KG, takes environmental stewardship very seriously and has a long-term view on carbon neutrality and sustainability. Weber has always been forward-looking with respect to environmental management having to comply with strict Air Quality and environmental regulations at its main plant in Southern California. Seeking an increase use of Clean Energy and energy-efficient equipment is very important to us but often the CapEx and OpEx costs can be restrictive in making faster headway. C-PACE funding would help incentive companies like Weber to pursue more energy reducing projects. Especially interesting are the less-restrictive covenants placed on the loans and the ability to fund projects retrospectively.
Thank you for your consideration.
My name is David Titzel and I am a 35 year Reno resident. I am commenting to request support for the C-PACE program. I like that this program incentivizes private capital to increase building efficiency. Buildings are a large contributor to climate warming pollution and an important sector to address.
I urge Washoe County to always consider the environment when making policy decisions. All these little steps in the right direction will help us solve our climate crisis and environmental degradation.
Thank you for you for your public service and the opportunity to comment.
For the record, my name is Janet Nelson, a Reno resident. On agenda item 15, I am in favor of C-PACE. This low cost, long term funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects is needed to knock down barriers to and enhance the use of clean energy. As an older senior citizen, I hope to witness the demise of the fossil fuel industry, which is harmful to our lives and our planet. Thank you.
For the record, my name is Cliff Kellogg, and I am the Executive Director of the C-PACE Alliance. a business association of capital providers that have invested in the vast majority of C-PACE projects nationally. I am commenting IN SUPPORT of this resolution.
I’d like to say a few words about why C-PACE can be an important economic development tool in Nevada. C-PACE is an alternative source of financing for commercial properties (all properties excluding single-family dwellings). Property owners use C-PACE to pay for the any cost related to energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy generation, and resiliency. Property owners can use C-PACE to pay for items such as HVAC, efficient windows and doors, temperature control systems, roofing, elevators, and solar panels. No public dollars or taxpayer funds are used in C-PACE financing.
36 states have authorized C-PACE, and to date, more than $5B has been invested in 3,000 properties.
The advantages of C-PACE include: 100% financing for retrofit projects and 20-25% of new construction projects; fixed interest rates; long repayment period.
Property owners make their repayments together with their property tax bill. This does not replace bank financing; in fact, this bill requires the prior approval from any existing mortgage-holder on the property as a precondition to the financing.
No public funds or public credit are involved. All the funds come from private capital providers and banks. Traditional commercial lenders often leave a gap in the needed total amount of financing necessary to undertake a project. C-PACE financing is often the lowest-cost source to fill that gap.
In the midst of the current recession, C-PACE can be used to refinance projects that were recently completed. Property owners can refinance existing financing or the owner-paid improvements. Refinancing allows property owners to improve cash flow and strengthen the property owner’s business operations. All with no budget cost to government.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer comments IN SUPPORT of this resolution.