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Texas Senator Brian Birdwell Introduces S.B. 1281 To Perfect and Protect the Texas PACE Act – Economic Development, Energy and Water Efficiency
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SB 1281 will protect and perfect TX-PACE by creating a uniform Texas-wide program overseen by the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) in the Comptroller’s Office (at no cost to the state or local governments) and administered by the best qualified third party organization selected through competitive process. Local governments wishing to participate can opt-into the program without the current burdensome process of individually standing up their own separate programs.
S.B. 1281
- Provides easier access for local governments to voluntarily opt into TX-PACE giving rural counties and communities water, energy, and economic benefits for all of Texas.
- Keeps TX-PACE uniform to:
- Increase efficiency and reduce transaction and overhead cost for all participants who need only learn one program, system, set of documents, etc.
- Enables local banks and credit unions to more easily participate
- Oversight from SECO in the Comptroller’s Office will ensure that:
- TX-PACE is administered as a public service ethically, professionally, cost-effectively, and with best practices in financial and technical standards
- Ensure that PACE assessments on private property are justified by and exceeded by the resulting water and energy use reduction cost savings
- Data on energy and water saved is uniformly measured and collected.
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Organizations in Support of S.B. 1281
As of March 11, 2019
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Texas Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA Texas)
Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT)
Keeping PACE in Texas
Public Citizen
Texas Association of Business (TAB)
Texas Bankers Association (TBA)
Texas Manufactures Association (TAM)
Texas Mortgage Bankers Association (TMBA)
Texas Municipal League (TML)
US Green Building Council (USGBC)
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What is PACE?
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a proven financial tool that incentivizes Texas’ property owners to upgrade facility infrastructure with little or no capital outlay.
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Background on the PACE Act and the
PACE in a Box model program
The Texas PACE Act (2013, 83R, S.B.385, Carona/Keffer) promotes private sector energy and water saving measures to free up Texas’ natural resources in response to population growth and drought. A Plug and Play Model program,
PACE in a Box
(TX-PACE), was established in 2014 by over 130 volunteers (business organizations, local governments, contractors, property owners, lenders).
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Proving the Concept
26 local jurisdictions reaching over 43% of the Texas population adopted PACE in a Box programs. $42.7 million invested in 17 projects to date bringing new investment in Amarillo, Austin, Bryan, Cedar Park, Cypress, Corsicana, Dallas, El Paso, Elgin, Houston, Round Rock & San Marcos.
In December, a Texas community bank closed the first local lender funded PACE project, proving the concept that TX-PACE can benefit all sectors of local economies. It’s time to take the program to the next level.
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So why change the current system?
The current expansion of the PACE program one local government at a time is inefficient, is burdensome to local governments, and is beginning to strain the commitment to the core principles of the PACE in a Box model program.
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Next Steps, S.B. 1281
A common sense adjustment/evolution is to establish and administer one state-wide PACE program of best practices and invite local governments to opt-in if they so choose.
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To join the list of supporting organizations or to learn more about the PACE 2.0 effort, contact Charlene Heydinger, Keeping PACE in Texas,
charlene.heydinger@keeppace.org
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