The State of California says it has eliminated a barrier to the financing of private, Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE projects.
The State has created a $10 million reserve fund to reimburse mortgage lenders. The fund would repay the lenders if people who finance clean energy projects through property tax payments default on their loans.
Evan Westrup with Governor Jerry Brown’s office says the Federal Housing Finance Agency prohibited mortgage lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae from accepting additional liens for homeowners who wished to finance PACE projects.
“The main concern of the Federal Government was around the financial liability and potential cost if these properties fell into foreclosure,” says Westrup.
Jonathan Gemma is with Aztec Solar in Sacramento. He says solar companies have lost business because mortgage lenders wouldn’t agree to additional liens to repay clean energy projects. Read more.