Florida PACE Funding Agency approved in Hernando County

Hernando County Board of County Commissioners voted to implement the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program for residents in the county’s unincorporated area. The program makes energy conservation and efficiency, renewable energy and wind resistance improvements affordable for property owners by providing fixed-rate financing for 100% of the project and closing costs, repaid through an assessment on property tax bills. The leading organizations providing these services are AllianceNRG Program^TM and CounterpointeSRE^TM, with AllianceNRG Program serving the residential market and the CounterpointeSRE serving the commercial market. Financing is limited to the useful life of the improvements and cannot exceed a maximum of 30 years. The AllianceNRG Program and CounterpointeSRE Program are among the leading PACE programs in the country.

In addition to helping property owners save on energy and insurance bills, PACE Programs spur local job creation by increasing demand for contractors and supplier services. The Programs are expected to create more jobs in Hernando County.

A wide variety of energy-saving products are available to property owners. Some of the Programs’ most popular products include solar power, whole-home heating and cooling (HVAC) systems, energy-saving windows and doors, roofing and insulation.

The Programs can help property owners reduce insurance premiums and protect them against the next hurricane by financing hurricane protection property upgrades like new roofs, strapping, storm windows, doors and shutters.

“Our Programs are making a big impact on job creation and economic stimulus throughout Florida” said C.J. De Santis, Head of Governmental Relations. “We have a strong track record and will make it easy for local residents and business to make improvements that increase their comfort and save money. Based on our experience in other PACE communities, we expect to see a high level of interest from homeowners and businesses.”

Participation is 100 percent voluntary for both municipalities and property owners. A growing number of cities and counties are partnering with multiple PACE providers to increase financing choices available to consumers.

The AllianceNRG Program and CounterpointeSRE are sponsored by the Florida PACE Funding Agency (FPFA), the largest PACE program in Florida. The FPFA is a governmental agency established in 2011. The AllianceNRG Program and CounterpointeSRE are now available in over 120 cities and 22 counties in Florida to more than 7.1 million people, representing approximately 35% of the state’s population.

For more information, please visit www.FloridaPACE.gov.

About Florida PACE Funding Agency

The Florida PACE Funding Agency was created in June 2011. The Agency’s mission is to facilitate the implementation, planning, development, funding, and financing of a statewide platform allowing private property owners, counties and cities to easily and economically take advantage of a program providing funding for qualified improvements to real property. Those improvements encompass energy efficiency, renewable energy and wind resistance.

Florida’s PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) legislation allows individual residential and commercial property owners to seek financing for those energy efficiency, renewable energy and wind resistance improvements in the form of a special assessment though a long term property assessment. Repayment of the assessment is made over a period of years and collected on the same bill as property taxes.

The Agency has the largest PACE program in Florida and participation in the Agency’s PACE program is increasing.

For more information about the Agency, please visit www.floridapace.gov. For cities or counties seeking to participate in the Agency’s PACE Program, please contact C.J. De Santis at (561) 409-0343 or gov@counterpointees.com.