Petition To Fairfax County Board of Supervisors: Enact C-PACE Ordinance

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors


A Nov. 2017 workshop on C-PACE at the Government Center underscored the substantial economic and environmental benefits that C-PACE financing offers to communities. We are well aware of the exceptionally large amounts of vacant space in county office buildings, and experience with C-PACE programs throughout the county has demonstrated that such programs can play a major role in overcoming this problem and increasing county tax revenues.

In addition, C-PACE provides a critical mechanism for cash-strapped religious congregations to install energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water saving measures in their buildings. The benefit of C-PACE financing is that it provides much more favorable terms than are available in the absence of this structure. Religious institutions can receive 100% financing. Typically, the investments have an immediate positive cash flow because of the reduction in utility costs combined with the long-term nature of the financing (typically 15-20 years). Owners of other commercial buildings experience similar benefits, and C-PACE consistently spurs construction and construction-related businesses and jobs in these sectors.

Moreover, enactment of a C-PACE ordinance is also an extremely effective tool to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the private sector – a key goal of the county’s 2017 Environmental Vision. Since GHG emissions resulting from county operations constitute less than 5% of total GHG emissions in the county, the county’s aggressive GHG emission reductions goals will not be met unless it provides tools that can address private sector emissions.  C-PACE meets this need because it is one of the most effective approaches to accelerate investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in private sector (including non-profit buildings), thereby reducing carbon emissions from one of the most challenging sectors.  

To: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
From: [Your Name]

As members of religious congregations throughout Fairfax County, we strongly urge the county to enact an ordinance that authorizes a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program in the county.

A Nov. 2017 workshop on C-PACE at the Government Center underscored the substantial economic and environmental benefits that C-PACE financing offers to communities. We are well aware of the exceptionally large amounts of vacant space in county office buildings, and experience with C-PACE programs throughout the county has demonstrated that such programs can play a major role in overcoming this problem and increasing county tax revenues.

In addition, C-PACE provides a critical mechanism for cash-strapped religious congregations to install energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water saving measures in their buildings. The benefit of C-PACE financing is that it provides much more favorable terms than are available in the absence of this structure. Religious institutions can receive 100% financing. Typically, the investments have an immediate positive cash flow because of the reduction in utility costs combined with the long-term nature of the financing (typically 15-20 years). Owners of other commercial buildings experience similar benefits, and C-PACE consistently spurs construction and construction-related businesses and jobs in these sectors.

Moreover, enactment of a C-PACE ordinance is also an extremely effective tool to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the private sector – a key goal of the county’s 2017 Environmental Vision. Since GHG emissions resulting from county operations constitute less than 5% of total GHG emissions in the county, the county’s aggressive GHG emission reductions goals will not be met unless it provides tools that can address private sector emissions. C-PACE meets this need because it is one of the most effective approaches to accelerate investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in private sector (including non-profit buildings), thereby reducing carbon emissions from one of the most challenging sectors.