News from our "Make Summit County Energy Smart" campaign
Below is the response from the county to our members who wrote letters about improving financingmechanisms for energy upgrades.
Dear ,
Thank you so much for your
letter to the County Commissioners requesting an initiative on the November
2010 ballot for low interest loans for energy efficiency.We realize this is a big concern for
residents here in Summit County where many residents want to make energy
efficiency improvements to their homes, but simply don’t have the money to get
the work done.
The County Commissioners just
approved the budget for 2010 and you’ll be pleased to know that we are
implementing a brand new energy efficiency program, designed specifically for
Summit County residents with County funds, which will kick off in the next few
months.Residents who get energy
audits on their homes from qualified energy auditors will be invited to apply
for loans of up to $10,000 to make energy efficiency improvements identified in
the audit, and pay back the loan over 10 years as part of their individual
property tax bill.As the loans are paid back, the money will be returned to the fund and
made available for others to borrow in the future.The result should be many homes in the County that are far
more energy efficient, cost less to live in, and have higher resale values due
to the lower energy bills.
Additionally, the County
Commissioners approved other funds to provide matching dollars for the State of
Colorado energy efficiency rebate program which should also be launched in the
next few months by the Governor’s Energy Office.This program will provide rebates for energy efficiency
purchases such as Energy Star appliances, insulation, high efficiency boilers
and other expenses that reduce a home’s overall energy consumption.
Look for more information in
the media in the next few months explaining both of these programs.Our local non-profit organization, High
Country Conservation Center, will be administering both of these programs for
the County.If you would like more
information, please contact them at 970-668-5703 or go to their website:www.highcountryconservation.org.
Sincerely,
Thaddeus J. Noll
Assistant County Manager
Here is our response to the county and further actions that you can take.
Dear Mr. Noll,
Thank you foryour response to CforSE members who wrote to the commissioners asking for a 2010 ballot initiative for low interest loans for property owners to make energy upgrades to there property. It is nice to know that the county values energy efficiency and is doing something to help homeowners. I have a few questions about the county's efforts and a few points to make as to why we feel that the county should pursue a stronger Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) in 2010.
1) What is the source of funding for the county's current efficiency loan program? (answer: half general funds and half State funds) What is the total amount available to Summit homeowners? ($200,000 total) 2) As I understand, the program is not available to businesses or for renewable energy projects such as solar. Is that correct? (yes)
3) What percentage of the county's energy use is in the commercial sector? (don't know) How much energy cost could be avoided if county loan programs were extended to businesses? We feel that it is important for Summit County to pursue PACE in 2010 because:
A) This mechanism provides millions of dollars to residential and commercial property owners (Pitkin = $7 mill, Gunnison = $3 mill, Eagle = $10 mill). B) The loans can be as high $40,000 and have as high as a 20 year payback period.
C) There is Stimulus funding available now to share with the neighboring counties to cover the start-up cost. This money won't likely be around for long. Waiting might cost the county several thousand dollars. D) This is an opportunity for Summit to join neighboring counties in being a leader and helping to spread the PACE mechanism around the state. The "wait and see approach" has been happening for far too long. It's time for the "look and act approach".
Again, I applaud Summit county's efforts to help homeowners become more energy efficient but there is much more work to be done and the PACE is an amazing cost-free opportunity to take a big step in the right direction.
I look forward to your reply and would like to meet sometime to discuss.
Sincerely,
Fred Kirsch Director Community for Sustainable Energy
