It may have taken more than a decade, but after starting out as a niche financing vehicle to create more energy-efficient and resilient buildings, the commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) program has arguably achieved mainstream acceptance. Roughly 40 states and Washington, D.C., now either offer or are developing C-PACE programs. Over the last year alone, Georgia, Hawaii, New Mexico, Minnesota and Idaho passed legislation enabling or substantially improving the financing tool, points out Rafi Golberstein, CEO of PACE Loan Group, a direct lender of C-PACE headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. What’s more, he adds, New Jersey and North Carolina are among states that in the coming months are expected to advance bills authorizing the use of C-PACE, or PACE for short. Given the current partisanship within the country, one of the most revealing characteristics of PACE’s growing appeal has been its ability to cross the political aisle, Golberstein observed. PACE’s popularity in particular has ascended over the last several months as developers have sought fresh capital to enhance their financial flexibility in a rising interest rate environment. “PACE is really turning out to be a bipartisan issue, as many state lawmakers are realizing that it is a great financing tool …
