Title
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) (B)
Explanation
The Committee last discussed this referral on March 13, 2014. Since that time, General Government and GRU staff met with Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) advocates to further discuss their proposal and any potential General Government/GRU involvement. PACE advocates also made a presentation to the County Commission on April 1, 2014. PACE advocates are interesting in the adoption of a commercial PACE program for commercial property owners in Gainesville and Alachua County. A follow-up meeting is scheduled with the County Commission on May 27, 2014.
PACE advocates indicated they plan to make the following recommendations to the County Commission:
“Part of our recommendation is that an ad hoc committee, including staff and citizens, be designated to:
* examine implementation of PACE in other communities to see how we can maximize lessons learned from those examples,
* develop parameters for a local PACE program, and
* write a report for staff to bring back to the County Commission, including recommendations for implementing a PACE program in Alachua County.
We recommended that both Alachua County and City of Gainesville staff be on the ad hoc committee, and that representatives of the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector staffs, interested citizens, and representatives from the business community, including local energy contractors and energy auditors be invited to participate.”
General Government and GRU staff believe that if a PACE program is implemented, it would be most logical and efficient for the County to adopt the program. A County PACE program could be structured to allow participation by property owners in the unincorporated areas of the County as well as those who reside in municipalities.
Fiscal Note
A PACE program would likely reduce GRU revenue via electric sales, and also reduce City utility tax revenue.
Recommendation:
The Committee hear a brief update and r...
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