Montpelier Energy Team :Clean Energy Assessment Districts (CEAD)

Topic: PACE Team meeting minutes

Topic type:
Topic
» MET-related

Compendium of minutes/notes from the PACE team's monthly-or-so meetings.

April 14, 2010 meeting

Attendees:

Ken Jones
Carl Etnier
Justin McCabe
Paul Markowitz
Barry McPhee

Minutes

PACE timeline for Montpelier:

The City feels it has no resources to lead, but does want to "follow." It also want to be part of a multi-town effort.
The District Energy grant's PACE money is still in process; may be a bit of time before those funds are freed for PACE-related use.
Whichever election we aim to get PACE on the ballot for, must be post-"all ducks in line". Some ducks the MET PACE team can line up:
1. Getting the VEIC-authored letter stating Montpelier's intent to adopt PACE (workshop speakers: "this should be on the VEIC and/or VLCT websites").
2. We decide if/when to hand it to the City Council for their consideration and hopefully signing.
3. The City Council's signing of that letter would enable VEIC to use its resources to aid us, gratis, through the remaining process.

Measuring Montpelier's potential PACE market:

A big help here would be to gather decent numbers indicating the remaining numbers/proportion of properties which have not completed efficiency or fuel-switch measures.
Barry said he'd gathered a first pass of many/most of these numbers, and would provide these in fairly short order [Barry has set a deadline of May 31 2010 for this.

Other Items:

Barry suggested the team propose that the City require, or offer optionally, that any owner undertaking a PACE energy project complete a "before-and-after" snapshot of energy useage, using a Home Fuel Useage Calculator. [see "Related Item" document] How it might work, and benefits:
- MET (Weatherization Team?) would provide this service, helping the owner complete the Calculator at the time of the project and again one year later. The "after" effects would then be known.
  - some "processing" will be necessary, e.g. adjusting for heating-degree days and the "bounce-back"(?) effect wherein people's slacking off on conservation somewhat counteracts the greater efficiency.
- Property owners would then have certain knowledge of their energy and $ savings, yielding "viral marketing."
- MET and the City would be building a database of the effectiveness of efficiency/fuel-switch projects (presumably boosting interest and participation).
- The contractors doing the work could use the before-n-afters from projects they performed to boost their business.

Assignments:

Ken Jones: will take a further look at the District Energy grant language to further determine PACE fund availability, restrictions et al.
Paul Markowitz: will get the VEIC letter. (PACE Team then must then decide whether to bring it to City Council.)
Barry McPhee: will gather a first pass of the numbers/proportion of properties which have not completed efficiency or fuel-switch measures. (goes to measuring Montpelier's potential PACE mkt)

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Jan 13, 2010 meeting

Attendees:

Ken Jones
Carl Etnier
Barry McPhee

Minutes
First-pass planning and tasking was done.

I. The CEAD team will look towards voter approval to establish a CEAD in a Fall 2010 election.
First-pass decision is to go for CEAD-creation only, delaying voter approval of the bond until a 2011 election.

Several areas of preparation identified in anticipation of this:

1. Development of a set of CEAD team “common talking points” to prepare for meetings with interested parties, public meetings to educate voters, and other media/outreach/education. All MET CEAD team members must become very familiar with this legislation in preparation for our upcoming public advocacy role.

With particular respect to requirements or options stated in the legislation likely to be lightning rods for opponents & skeptics. E.g.:

the reserve fund payments (funded by participating property owners) for use in the event of a foreclosure upon an assessed property

possible regional district, or at minimum a single “back office,” to adminstrate several neighboring Town districts

regional CEAD pooled funds are likely; even a statewide pool is being discussed

And to be able to tick off all the advantages, e.g.:

interest rate vs. private-sector loans’ rates

payment schedule is calibrated to guarantee positive cash flow.

And to prep for speaking with City staff: Managers & decision-makers first.

Other orgs are developing talking points: VLCT; VEIC; PACEnow.org

Assigned to: Ken Jones. Ken to turn in a first draft in approx. one week, i.e. @ 1/20/10. Barry will post a link to it and distribute to team members. (BEM 1/25/10: see 'Related Items' list above)

2. Consulation with/use of resources from other towns further along than we are.
In Vermont, Burlington is the primary example; they are likely to provide us with:

Setup of BISHCA-compatible underwriting criteria

process by which / actors involved in the written agreement between the CEAD and property-owners within it.

First task here is to assemble a list of such Vermont towns, and if needed out-of-state towns.
Assigned to: TBD

3. Begin building a list of homeowners’ likely to do energy projects under CEAD, and estimated cost (preparation to determine size of bond for which Montpelier applies).

- can use pre-existing weatherizations’ avg cost: multiply by # of projects
- James Moore/VPIRG?
- brainstorm ways to access middle-class homeowners.
- CVCAC WAP admin Scott Campbell – can he give us list of WAP applicants rejected due to too much income?