County may join effort to streamline energy upgrades
STOCKTON — In an effort to provide residents a more streamlined process to upgrade homes with energy-efficient amenities, San Joaquin County may become part of a statewide initiative.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will receive a report on the Property Assessed Clean Energy program it enacted in 2016, and consider joining the California Statewide Communities Development Authority’ Open PACE program.
The PACE program provides long-term financing for solar energy and other efficiency technologies for residents, with repayment through special assessments on homeowners’ property taxes.
In 2016, the supervisors approved partnerships with two PACE program administrators — Renovate America, Inc., or HERO, and Renew Financial, or CaliforniaFIRST — to operate the program and work directly with homeowners to install the technologies.
The following year, supervisors approved both Ygrene Energy Fund and Dividend Finance, or Figtree, as program administrators.
A total of 508 homes in the county have been upgraded through the PACE program since 2016, Tuesday’s staff report states, generating $1.6 million in assessments.
The county would like to obtain additional PACE administrators, however, the request for proposals process is lengthy, staff said, taking as many as four months to complete.
The entire process is initiated by the county’s purchasing and support services division, while the county administrator’s office, county counsel, the auditor-controller and community development departments become involved in the review and approval process, staff said.
In order to streamline the process and make it easier for qualified additional administrators to be added to the PACE program, the county could approve a joint powers authority to operate and oversee the program.
That joint powers authority, staff said, would be the California Statewide Communities Development Authority.
“This is an agency that’s a conglomerate, and it streamlines this service for several cities and counties,” San Joaquin County Community Development director David Kwong said.
“In terms of having and agency willing to do this for us and limit staff resources, it’s a win, and it’s a win for residents,” he said.
Through the CSCDA, both residential and commercial property owners would enter into voluntary contracts with various program administrators to install technologies such as solar panels, water efficiency, seismic strengthening improvements and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The CSCDA has five additional administrators approved to manage the PACE program, which means the county does not have to request or review new applicants.
In addition, staff said the CSCDA and its administrators would be responsible for all aspects of the program, including contract agreements, installation and payments, staff said.
Installed improvements are financed through bonds issued by the CSCDA, which are secured by a voluntary contractual assessment levied on an owner’s property.
According to staff, property assessments are levied by the CSCDA and collected in annual installments through property taxes.
County staff will still be responsible for the some 500 homes previously upgraded since 2016, Kwong said.
Several counties throughout California have joined the CSCDA, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Sacramento and San Mateo.
If supervisors approve a resolution Tuesday authorizing inclusion into the CDCSA, it will take effect immediately, according to the staff report.
Kwong said the county will submit the resolution to the CDCSA, who then reviews the application and begins the process of inclusion. It is unknown when county property owners will be able to begin contacting the CDCSA or its program administrators.
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