St. Lucie County is trying to make solar power affordable to residents, according to the TCPalm:
The county is hoping to partner with other Treasure Coast governments and financial institutions to create a non-profit bank known as a community development financial institution that could lend money at low-interest rates for energy improvements to qualified applicants. And:
The county plans to apply for energy block grants that go up to $75 million for seed money. If the county is unsuccessful in getting the money, it still could create a community development financial institution through other, yet to be determined, means.
Commissioner Doug Coward, long a vocal proponent for decentralized solar power, said he hopes this effort can make solar power available to those other than the rich who can afford to wait for rebates after big upfront costs. Coward compared the plan to Port St. Lucie utilities, which provides low-interest loans instead of forcing those wanting water hook-ups to pay all expenses immediately.
“We want to create a means for the average person and business to achieve (solar),” Coward said.
Coward said he hopes to achieve increased demand by upping the availability. The county has been working to retrain those in the construction industry and this could be one way to put those individuals back to work. The financial institution also could help draw more solar companies to the Treasure Coast.
“We would be assisting those job sectors that have been hardest hit by the economic situation,” Coward said. “Instead of having them build homes that we don’t need, let’s put them to work in a productive way.”
3 comments:
Actually, the City of Gainesville has its own Power Company, and they have been entering into agreements with property owners to install solar cells on the roof, and whatever power they generate beyone their own needs, would go back to the grid, and they would be compensated at the going rate per KW. I spoke to someone at FPL about doing the same thing State wide, and they said they were constrained by the PSC.. I smell a rat... Do some research on the Gainesville Power Program. It is very interesting...
Palm Beach didn't get money from the first go-round, so they're applying like everyone else.
Miami-Dade DID get funds and part of it will go to just that very thing - a revolving loan fund in cooperation with the South Florida Regional Planning Council (which has experience managing their own revolving loan fund).
Sometimes it is helpful to make a couple calls to the County first.
The County has been researching tax financing structures for solar along with other creative opportunities for residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and ways to get solar installed.
Hopefully there will be announcements in the coming months about those plans.
news (not updated frequently enough) can be found at miamisolarforum.blogspot.com
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