Green Monday 14

Posted by Janna on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Energy Financing For Asheville and Buncombe County

April 19, 2010

The Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute, in sponsorship with the City of Asheville and Buncombe County, announces this special “Town Hall” BRSI Green Monday. The purpose is to educate and gain community views about a financing option that Harvard Business Review has called one of the “Breakthrough Ideas for 2010.”

North Carolina and fifteen other states have enabled local governments to issue a form of PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) Bonds. PACE bonds allow local governments to provide loans to businesses and homeowners to make energy efficiency improvements. PACE loans are intended to be repaid through an assessment on the improved property. Both the Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Commissioners have already directed staff to examine the potential for providing PACE loans.

This special event will be held Monday, April 19, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. in the Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte Street, Asheville. Admission is free and open to the public.

The program will provide information about the legislative authority in North Carolina, how the PACE program is working across the country, the particular issues that need to be considered in creating a program at the community level in North Carolina and some of the issues being evaluated by the staffs of the Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Commission. It will also include an interactive format to engage the community about the concept of the energy funding initiative and various facets of how a program could work in Asheville and Buncombe County.

The overall goal is to explore the opportunities and challenges that would be part of implementing a PACE initiative in our region.

This Green Monday is presented by the Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute with a generous grant from Progress Energy.