ILSR's Report on Community Solar Policy Coming Soon

jfarrell — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:17:13 -0500

Community solar power has the promise of making solar more affordable, bringing sun-powered electricity to renters or people with shady roofs, and dispersing the economics benefits of renewable energy generation. But while a few pioneering projects have broken through the barriers to community solar power, the rules, incentives, and policies for solar PV restrict the potential of community solar. Next week, ILSR will release its report on community solar.

Federal Stimulus Cash Grant Gives Boost to Locally Owned Wind Power

jfarrell — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:46:21 -0500

The credit crisis may have crimped commercial wind turbine installations, but the economic stimulus cash grants in lieu of tax credits have given new life to community wind projects.

Lenders Have it Wrong and PACE Advocates Should Fight Back

jfarrell — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:31:09 -0500

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued guidance yesterday that drew a line in the sand against municipal energy financing, a.k.a. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs. These innovative initiatives provide energy efficiency retrofits for homeowners that are repaid through a property tax assessment. Since homeowners falling behind on payments must repay their PACE assessment before their mortgage, giant lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will consider participating households in default on their mortgages for receiving an energy efficiency retrofit via PACE. Their rationale is paper thin.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Won't Allow PACE liens

jfarrell — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:55:47 -0500

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have told federal regulators and plan to release additional guidance indicating that the senior lien status of PACE liens is not acceptable. This declaration comes despite recent articles highlighting the minimal impact of PACE liens on the lenders' balance sheets, White House and DOE support for the program, and the 23 states who have enabled Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing.

Energy Self-Reliant States Get A Boost From New Federal Study

jfarrell — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:01:42 -0500

A new study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reinforces the findings of a 2009 report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). The ILSR report, Energy Self-Reliant States, concluded that all 50 states could generate at least 25 percent of their electricity needs from in-state renewable energy while 31 could generate over 100 percent.

John Farrell on This Week in Energy talking about PACE municipal energy financing

jfarrell — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:02:40 -0500

On episode 24 of This Week in Energy, John Farrell discusses PACE, oil spills and smart grids with hosts Bob Tregilus and Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield.

PACE Municipal Energy Financing: Designing State Policy

jfarrell — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:35:38 -0500

What lessons have we learned from early PACE programs and what does that mean for designing good state enabling legislation? Learn more from this webinar presentation by ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell to the NGA Center for Best Practices.

David Morris Discusses the BP Gulf Oil Spill and Impacts on Minnesota

dmorris — Sun, 16 May 2010 11:45:14 -0500

David Morris joins Curtis Beckmann on Minnesota This Week, a program by Radio City Network News, to discuss the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its impacts on Minnesota. Additionally, they discussed the past and future of transportation fuels.

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) makes partners of solar PV and energy efficiency

jfarrell — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:30:50 -0500

Property assessed clean energy (PACE) does not make energy efficiency the enemy of solar PV. Instead, it helps optimize the use of solar PV for participating property owners so that an optimally sized solar PV array that is partially paid for through the energy savings from efficiency improvements.

Should Renewable Energy Standards Be Met With In-State Resources?

jbailey — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:52:33 -0500

A legislative proposal in Connecticut would cut their existing renewable portfolio standard nearly in half but prioritize in-state generation. Backers of the rollback say that renewable energy is mainly bought from outside the state to meet the current standard. The change in the RPS boosts financing tools for in-state power as part of the plan. One interesting quote, "we want projects, not simply percentages."