The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE or Commercial PACE) Toolkit is an outcome of DOE's C-PACE Working Group. The C-PACE Working Group represents a three-year partnership (2018–2020) of state and local governments that worked together to learn about, launch, and refine C-PACE financing programs. By 2021, the working group stimulated $70 million in C-PACE investments among 17 state and local partners, exceeding a $60 million goal two years ahead of schedule.
DOE's collaboration with more than 70 participants, including more than 30 state and local government participants (see the full list below), resulted in tools and resources to inform public-sector C-PACE program development and implementation. State and local governments can use these resources to build a foundational understanding of C-PACE, inform the decision to start a program, improve implementation, and apply C-PACE to support a range of public purpose objectives.
Why Commercial PACE Matters for State and Local Governments
C-PACE is authorized by state legislation, requires further authorization from local governments, and is a voluntary tool for financing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resilience upgrades in commercial buildings. More than 37 states and Washington, D.C., have adopted C-PACE enabling legislation because of the opportunities for investment in local businesses, energy and cost savings, and job creation. C-PACE programs have resulted in more than $2 billion in private capital investment in commercial building upgrades in more than 20 states.
State and local governments adopt C-PACE to generate jobs, stimulate economic development, and combat climate change. State and local governments can advance these public purpose objectives through C-PACE with little to no investment of public funds while being engaged and supportive of program outcomes. By leveraging DOE's tools and resources, state and local governments can make more informed decisions and ensure their C-PACE programs achieve public purpose objectives.
Download a printable version of the C-PACE Toolkit.
Introducing the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Toolkit
The Commercial PACE, or C-PACE, Toolkit is a four-part compilation of resources that any state or local government can use to navigate barriers and benefit from C-PACE financing. Toolkit resources support best practices and innovative approaches successfully used by states and local governments to establish, join, or design a C-PACE program, implement a program and generate project uptake, and apply C-PACE to support underserved communities or advance resilience objectives.
Part 1—C-PACE 101: Build a Foundation
Start with the basics including the C-PACE financing mechanism and the role of the public sector. Understand the key features, stakeholders, and lessons learned from early adopters through foundational resources.
- C-PACE: A Fact Sheet for State and Local Governments
Quickly understand C-PACE with this resource targeted at states and local governments.
- Lessons in Commercial PACE Leadership: The Path from Legislation to Launch
Fast track the set-up of C-PACE programs for state and local governments by capturing the lessons learned from leaders. The report examines potential program design options and important decision points in setting up a C-PACE program, tradeoffs for available options, and experiences of stakeholders that have gone through the program development process. The resource draws on interviews with leading market actors and representatives of established programs in Texas, Connecticut, California, and many others.
- Technical Webinars to Build a Foundation
Hear from C-PACE experts and public-sector stakeholders in these pre-recorded webinars. Titles include:
Part 2—Establish, Join, or Design a Program
Identify existing C-PACE enabling laws and programs; understand the opportunities, risks, and strategies to successfully offer a program; and leverage data to assess the energy savings opportunity at the state or local level.
- PACENation Resources
PACENation maintains information on C-PACE enabling legislation and programs by state in addition to many other resources. State and local governments can identify what laws and programs exist here: - Issue Brief—Commercial PACE Financing and the Special Assessment Process: Understanding Roles and Managing Risks for Local Governments
Navigate two specific barriers local governments may face regarding C-PACE programs: (1) uncertainty about the likelihood of tax foreclosure on properties in default and risks to local governments; and (2) uncertainty about the staffing commitment associated with the special tax assessment process.
- State and Local Coordination
Learn about and adopt best practices for coordinating local government and state roles. - Energy and Building Market Assessment Tool: Commercial PACE Application
Look up your state or local government using the Energy and Building Market Assessment Tool to access localized data and analysis related to commercial building characteristics, energy use, and energy savings potential. The information from the Tool can be used to quantify the "C-PACE opportunity" in communities and to facilitate more strategic program design and implementation.- Download the Energy and Building Market Assessment Tool (Excel Tool, 50 MB)
- User Guide
- Technical Webinars to Establish, Join, or Design a Program
Hear from C-PACE experts and public-sector stakeholders in these pre-recorded webinars. Titles include:
Part 3—Implement a Program and Generate Uptake
Prioritize "early wins" in the form of completed projects and long-term success including demonstrated energy savings.
- Issue Brief – Practices for Demonstrating Energy Savings from Commercial PACE Projects
Understand the value proposition of conducting energy impact assessments on C-PACE programs and balance considerations associated with different methods and tools for tracking program impacts. - Issue Brief – Commercial PACE Project Origination: Leverage Points for Growing the Project Pipeline
Replicate best practices for marketing and messaging C-PACE programs to grow the pipeline of projects looking to take advantage of C-PACE financing. - Technical Webinars to Implement a Program and Generate Uptake
Hear from C-PACE experts and public-sector stakeholders in these pre-recorded webinars. Titles include:
Part 4—Topics of Special Interest
Get more out of C-PACE by applying it to a range of public purpose objectives including supporting underserved communities such as small and medium businesses and multifamily housing, efficient new construction, and resilient buildings.
- Serving Underserved Market Segments
- C-PACE for Resilience and New Construction
C-PACE Working Group Participants
State and Local Participants
Partners
- Arlington County, VA
- Bernalillo County, NM
- Chicago, IL
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts and MassDevelopment
- Cook County, IL
- Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility
- Jefferson County, CO
- Las Vegas, NV
- Milwaukee, WI
- New York, NY & NYCEEC
- Philadelphia, PA—Philadelphia Energy Authority
- Portland, OR—Prosper Portland
- Reno, NV
- State of Alabama
- State of Nevada
- State of New Mexico
- Will County, IL
Observers
- Bay Area Regional Energy Network (CA)
- City and County of Honolulu, HI
- City of Longmont, CO
- Shift Zero Building Alliance (WA)
- State of Iowa
- State of Montana
- State of New Jersey
- State of Pennsylvania
Advisors
- California Municipal Finance Authority
- Connecticut Green Bank
- Dallas, TX
- Ohio Port Authorities and Energy Special Improvement Districts
- Show Me PACE Clean Energy District
- State of Colorado
- State of Texas—State Energy Conservation Office
- Washington, D.C.
Market Partners
- PACENation
- Abacus Property Solutions
- ALB Engineering Contractors
- Alliance to Save Energy
- American Women Empower Real Estate & Development
- Appraisal Institute
- CleanFund Commercial PACE Capital
- Colorado Clean Energy Fund
- C-PACE Alliance
- CrossRiver Capital
- Energy Alliance Group of North America
- Energy Finance Solutions with Slipstream
- Government Sustainability Coalition
- Grits Capital
- Greenworks Lending
- Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Real Estate
- Highview Creations
- IncentiFind
- Institute for Building Technology and Safety
- Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Lean and Green Michigan
- Lever Energy Capital
- LordCap PACE
- Marcena Capital
- Maryland Energy Advisors
- Minnesota Credit Union Network
- Missouri Energy Initiative
- Motivate Capital
- National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO)
- National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
- OHIO PACE
- PACE Equity
- PACE Financial Servicing (PFS)
- Petros PACE Finance
- RAHILL Capital
- Restaurant Lighting Concepts
- Sustainable Energy Fund (PA)
- Sustainable Real Estate Solutions (SRS)
- Texas PACE Authority
- von Briesen & Roper
- White Oak Global Advisors
- Ygrene Energy Fund
Definitions - Working Group Participants
| State and Local Government Track | Market Partner Track |
|---|---|
Partners – State and local governments with state level C-PACE enabling legislation, but no program, or limited project financing completed to-date. Partners are actively working to develop or refine their C-PACE program. | Companies and organizations directly impacted by or specializing in C-PACE financing, including: - PACE Trade Associations - 3rd Party Program Administrators - Capital Providers - Commercial Lenders - Contractors and Energy Service Companies - Commercial Property Owners |
Observers – State and local governments with an interest in exploring C-PACE, but without the state level C-PACE enabling legislation or other constraints that prevent partner participation. | |
| Advisors – State and local governments with state level C-PACE enabling legislation, a program, and financed projects. These participants are valued members of the Working Group and serve as advisors to the observers and partners. |
Additional Resources
Resources designed to support and grow the C-PACE market are available from leading national and state-based organizations. Visit the following websites curated by C-PACE leaders to find more resources:
Questions and Feedback
Contact us with questions and feedback: stateandlocal@ee.doe.gov.