PACE Energy Financing Districts: Options To Strengthen & Sustain Our Communities In West Palm Beach

What is PACE? PACE stands for “Property Assessed Clean Energy” PACE is a financing program: – Sponsored by a municipality with taxing authority – By which commercial and/or residential property owners opt into a voluntary special assessment district – Property owners receive an up front payment that is used to finance energy improvements and/or retrofits. – Property owners repay this obligation via an annual assessment on the property owner’s property tax bill. Pioneered in Berkeley, CA; California passed enabling legislation in 2008 Voted one of the “Breakthrough Ideas for 2010” by Harvard Business Review

PACE Is Coming To Florida Florida municipalities have existing authority for PACE Many are already moving forward with enabling resolutions: Miami-Dade County, Leon County, City of St. Petersburg, others, including special districts PACE legislation is currently being considered in Tallahassee that would further clarify the legitimacy of PACE in Florida as an option to promote community-wide investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, water conservation and hurricane preparedness Current status of PACE legislation in Florida: – SB 2322 – in final committee, Policy & Steering Committee on Ways and Means, vote 4/15/10 – HB 7179 – passed final committee 4/14/10, headed to floor vote

What PACE Can Do For West Palm Beach Community-Wide Retrofits Reduced “Carbon Footprint” Water Conservation: low-flow toilets; rain cisterns Hurricane Preparedness: impact-resistant doors & windows Energy Efficiency: ultra-efficient HVAC units; building insulation Green Collar Job Creation: local contractors Positive Community Engagement & Social Marketing

How Can EcoCityPartners Help? Turn-key Program: design, implementation, financing and administration Strategic relationships with the pioneers and leaders in Florida and throughout the U.S. Florida-based: Knowledge of the Florida landscape – the politics as well as the state/federal incentives key to developing the most effective model Community-specific social marketing campaigns for greater take rate

EcoCityPartners 146 Second Street North, Suite 305 St Petersburg, Florida