QUICK NEWS, 6-22: PEOPLE WANT NEW ENERGY; NEW ENERGY NEEDS NEW FINANCING; NEW ENERGY ON PACE; $100 MIL SUN FUND

PEOPLE WANT NEW ENERGY
Poll Finds Deep Concern About Energy and Economy
John M. Broder and Marjorie Connelly (w/Dalia Sussman and Marina Stefan), June 21, 2010 (NY Times)

"Overwhelmingly, Americans think the nation needs a fundamental overhaul of its energy policies, and most expect alternative forms to replace oil as a major source within 25 years. Yet a majority are unwilling to pay higher gasoline prices to help develop new fuel sources.

"…[T]he latest nationwide New York Times/CBS News poll…examines the public’s reaction to the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, highlights some of the complex political challenges the Obama administration faces. For instance, despite intense news coverage and widespread public concern about the economic and ecological damage from the gulf disaster, most Americans remain far more concerned about jobs and the nation’s overall economy…54 percent of the public say [President Obama] does not have a clear plan for creating jobs, while only 34 percent say he does…"

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"Respondents were nearly evenly split on the president’s handling of the economy — 45 percent approve, 48 percent disapprove. His job approval rating remains just below 50 percent. And by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, Americans think the country is on the wrong track.

"They are also impatient with Mr. Obama’s response to the oil disaster in the gulf, by a large margin, and attribute the spill to risks taken by BP and its partners in the failed well…Gulf Coast residents, whose communities are most affected by the leak and whose livelihoods have been linked to oil for generations, are more likely than Americans over all to say they are confident that those who were affected by the spill will be fairly compensated by BP. A majority say the Obama administration has a lot or some control over whether BP will pay for the damages…"

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"…[T]he public over all said more regulation of offshore drilling to protect the environment was needed, but respondents were also more likely to attribute the BP accident to a failure of the federal government to enforce existing rules…Large majorities disapprove of the way BP is handling the spill and have little faith in the oil industry generally to act in the public interest…

"Yet optimism is resilient…The longer that people think the oil will continue to leak, the less likely they are to think that the region’s ecology and economy will recover. Still, even among those who think the leak will continue for another year or longer, most are optimistic…"


NEW ENERGY NEEDS NEW FINANCING
Clean energy startups often need alternative financing; Larger investment needs, longer road to market test ingenuity in search for capital
Ann Meyer, June 21, 2010 (Chicago Tribune)

"With momentum building for clean energy, Chicago entrepreneurs Elizabeth Iwanicki and Giovanni Bonomi say demand for their wind turbines is accelerating.

"Once they seal deals with prospective customers in the U.S. and abroad, their startup, Tempest Wind Energy Inc., plans to add workers and move to a larger manufacturing facility…[But] Tempest Wind needs to raise millions of dollars to move from design to prototype, funds that are elusive at the moment…It's a challenge…[A] clean energy future…will take a lot of capital. While entrepreneurs can launch an information technology business for tens of thousands of dollars, renewable energy innovations often require millions…"

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"Tempest Wind plans to assemble two prototypes to prove that the machines' proprietary pitch control makes the turbines more efficient, compact and quieter, Iwanicki said. The small turbines, with output ranging from 65 kilowatts to 175 kilowatts, can be transported by truck or 40-foot container to remote locations and installed without a crane. As a result, Tempest is getting interest from rural communities in Italy, the Middle East and Asia, as well as Alaska.

"But the first step is finding the necessary capital…Tempest Wind has applied for government grants and is seeking private equity investments, Bonomi said. But competition is fierce. Venture capitalists have put about 10 percent of their investment dollars in energy-related startups during the past 12 months…But they generally want to see proof the business concept will be profitable before making an investment."

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"Nationally, the U.S. Department of Energy has provided additional funding for alternative energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, while the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Technology administers grants through the Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs, awarding about $2 billion a year…Startups also should look at state and local grants as well as foundation support…Strategic corporate partnerships are a sound strategy for finding the capital that a startup needs…[and because] alternative energy a hot issue, private foundations also can be a funding source…

"A recent poll indicates 61 percent of small business owners said moving to clean energy will help restart the economy and help create jobs, according to the nonprofit Small Business Majority. In addition, 58 percent of the 800 business owners surveyed support adoption of new energy policies and want their businesses to be a part of it…"


NEW ENERGY ON PACE
PACE Financing for Commercial Buildings; Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing for Energy Efficiency Retrofits and Renewable Energy: Market Opportunity, GHG Reduction, and Job Creation
Levin Nock and Clint Wheelock, 2Q 2010 (Pike Research)

"A Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program creates voluntary tax liens on private property, to secure financing for retrofits on existing buildings for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sometimes water conservation. The liens are paid off over 5 to 20 years, usually on the property tax bills.

"With a lien as security, financing can be secured in various ways…Each property owner in the district can voluntarily opt in to the program to receive energy upgrades on their own property…The effect of the lien on the property owner’s financial statement is to shift operational expense from energy bills to property tax bills. Some programs require this shift to be revenue-neutral or cash flow positive, while other programs allow PACE lien repayments which are larger than the expected energy cost savings…"

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"For a municipality, a PACE program is a “gift that keeps on giving” because a one-time public investment yields an ongoing benefit. In terms of the total amount of outstanding liens, the cost of running a program is roughly 1% to 2% for administration and education, plus 5% for credit enhancements such as a loan loss reserve fund or credit insurance…For a commercial program, if each large building project brings its own third party financing, then minimal public funding is needed…For third party financing, repayment can be managed in different ways…

"As the scope of a PACE program grows, bonds can be issued more frequently. For instance, a program might launch using $20 million borrowed from a municipal reserve…The program allocates $20 million in retrofit loans during the first year, and then issues a $20 million bond to replenish the funding. As the PACE program becomes more popular in year two, the cycle of “issue $20 million in retrofit loans, then aggregate these small liens and issue $20 million in bonds” might be repeated twice or even three times…"

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"A wide variety of efficiency upgrades are cost-effective within this structure. When existing rebates and tax credits are included, renewable energy projects are also cost-effective in some states…This financial tool was developed recently, and is rapidly evolving. Most programs have concentrated on residential retrofits thus far, with a few pilot commercial programs, some of which have developed out of residential programs…

"Opinions vary regarding the potential effectiveness of PACE in commercial energy retrofits, and the potential characteristics of successful commercial programs…The appetite of institutional retirement accounts for long-term bonds is huge…States with active PACE programs include Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, New York, and Oregon. The most activity in 2010 will be in California…Commercial property owners likely to take advantage of PACE in the next few years will be those with noticeably high energy bills, 10%+ equity, and expectations of keeping the property for a while. Because PACE programs are so new, some potential buyers and lending institutions may be wary…In regions where PACE programs are available, PACE will provide one of the best options to finance…"


$100 MIL SUN FUND
PG&E Corporation and SunRun Create $100 Million Home Solar Financing Fund; Agreement creates the largest residential solar fund to date
June 21, 2010 (SunRun Inc)

"…PG&E Corporation…and SunRun Inc., the nation’s leading provider of home solar financing… announced a $100 million tax equity project financing agreement to fund SunRun’s installation of more than 3,500 new home solar installations across the nation. The investment, principally funded by PG&E Corporation shareholders through [subsidiary] Pacific Energy Capital, creates the largest residential solar financing vehicle established to date…Pacific Energy Capital will provide financing for the rooftop energy systems and both parties will receive payments from SunRun customers. SunRun will manage the projects.

"SunRun offers home solar power without high upfront costs through power purchase agreements (PPAs) and solar leases. Through SunRun's popular solar plans, homeowners pay as little as $0 upfront to get solar panels installed, followed by a low, monthly payment to have solar energy at home. SunRun provides complete solar maintenance, monitoring, repairs, insurance and money-back performance guarantee for all its customers, making it simple and affordable for homeowners to switch their home to clean solar electricity…"

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"The solar systems funded under the agreement are expected to be installed in 2010 and 2011 in at least five states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. SunRun currently serves more than 4,000 customers in these five states, and is growing 500% year-over-year. SunRun now partners with 15 leading solar integrators that are located across the country and that collectively employ more than 2,500 solar workers…

"This agreement follows the recent announcement that T.J. Glauthier, the former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy, joined SunRun as an Advisor in May. It also follows on the heels of the December 2009 announcement that SunRun had raised another project finance fund with U.S. Bancorp."