The PACE program would have allowed me to retrofit a solar system and free me from electric bills. The cost would have been added on the property tax bill like mosquito abatement or other underground electric pole improvements over a twenty year payment program. The PACE program also was going to help construction jobs in Orange County, when the building industry is at an all-time slow right now. More than seventy local construction companies have taken the classes to be certified, all for nothing. The program was expected to create 15000 local jobs in Orange County.
In a lawsuit filed yesterday Brown, our attorney general accused the FHFA of mischaracterizing the program as a loan rather than an assessment, and argued its decision not to cooperate with the program could cost the state up to $100 million in government subsidies. The suit asks the court to force Fannie and Freddie to recognize the program correctly as assessments.
The death of the PACE program stops the more than $450 million in planned projects to be cancelled In an election year when Jerry Brown has only 5% of the funding for a campaign he takes a risky move in taking on our federal government. I see him championing issues for California in new and exciting ways. As our governor 1974- two terms he was nicknamed “moonbeam” for his idea of having a satellite for California emergency communications, funny how today satellites are the norm not some silly idea. Jerry Brown is a smart guy, ahead of his time. Why on earth would we not want to use solar in a state that has sunshine more days than not?
http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1951
Photo courtesy Larry Hagman and solar tech
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