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WHEREAS, nearly half the energy consumed in the United States and three-quarters of the electricity generated is used to operate buildings, including heating, cooling, and lighting, much of it produced by the burning of fossil fuel; and,
WHEREAS, reducing the energy demands of buildings therefore reduces the amount of fossil fuel energy require and consumed; and,
WHEREAS, the high initial cost of energy efficient and renewable energy improvements can be a barrier to the widespread adoption of these improvements; and,
WHEREAS, Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs provide funding for energy improvement projects by providing loans to be repaid over a period of up to twenty years through an assessment added to the building’s property tax; and,
WHEREAS, PACE funding mitigates the upfront cost of energy efficient improvements by spreading the cost over a number of years and possibly over several owners, providing a solution to one possible barrier in the broader adoption of energy efficient improvements; and,
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1069 creates a framework for PACE funding in Pennsylvania, to provide Pennsylvania property owners greater opportunity to improve their property in ways that are both fiscally and environmentally responsible.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh urges the Pennsylvania Senate to support Senate Bill 1069 to allow for PACE financing in the State of Pennsylvania.