County Moves Forward with Energy Efficiency Programs

The Prowers County Commissioners, during their September 17^th meeting, approved a resolution concerning the authorization of the Colorado New Energy Improvement District to conduct the program, called Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) within Prowers County.

‘(C-PACE) is a financing tool that allows commercial and multifamily property owners to finance qualifying energy efficiency, water conservation, and other clean energy improvements on existing and newly constructed properties, with repayment of the financing through a voluntary assessment on their property tax bill. The website for Colorado C-PACE is copace.com.

• Colorado C-PACE financing is repaid through a voluntary special assessment on the property tax bill. The security of the tax lien is key to this program as the lien attaches to the property and transfers with ownership. Colorado C-PACE provides financing for eligible energy efficiency, water conservation, and renewable energy improvements over their useful life — up to 20 years — thus making projects cost-effective and encouraging property owners to invest in newer, greener technologies.
• Interested property owners opt to receive long-term (up to 20-year) financing for as much as 100% of the cost of these improvements. This arrangement spreads the cost of clean energy improvements over a longer period than could be obtained with traditional debt financing.

Property owners are free to arrange financing directly with one of the listed capital providers, or to bring their own capital provider to purchase the Colorado C-PACE assessment (i.e. fund the project).’

In other action, the commissioners were informed the Prowers County Historical Society recently received a $500 donation from the group, Order of the Indian Wars, after they toured the Big Timbers Museum, Saturday, September 14th. Two busloads of members viewed the exhibits pertaining to Sand Creek at the museum as well as other historical artifacts.  The visit was part of a tour in southeast Colorado by the Order that included the Sand Creek Massacre Site, Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site and Boggsville.

Museum Curator, Kathleen Scranton, told the Prowers County Commissioners sixty persons recently attended the Night at the Museum on Thursday, September 12th which included a re-dedication ceremony by the Fort William Bent Chapter of the NSDAR and the newly installed Mountain Branch of the Colorado Santa Fe Trail & Historic Byway interpretive panel kiosks on museum property.
By Russ Baldwin