Treasurer McCord Proud to Accept National Award for Keystone HELP
Pennsylvania’s home energy loan program honored for opening new markets, increasing access to private investment capital
Harrisburg – State Treasurer Rob McCord expressed appreciation to State and Local Energy Report for recognizing the achievements of Pennsylvania’s Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (Keystone HELP) as the magazine announced the winners of its fifth annual Residential Energy Efficiency Awards today.
“It is great that the excellent work done by Treasury’s Keystone HELP team has been noticed by those who closely follow energy issues around the nation,” McCord said. “We are deeply proud of Keystone HELP, which so far has allowed more than 11,000 Pennsylvania families to save money while increasing energy efficiency—and creating jobs.”
State and Local Energy Report bestowed awards in four categories, and Keystone HELP won The Single-Family Award. The publication said the Pennsylvania program “has opened up new markets for these types of loans and increased access to private sector capital for home energy retrofits.”
Through Keystone HELP, Treasury makes low-interest loans available for high-efficiency furnace or boiler replacements, geothermal heating and cooling units, insulation installations, door and window replacements, and other measures to help Pennsylvanians conserve energy while saving on their residential energy bills.
Treasury’s sale earlier this year of several thousand Keystone HELP loans marked an important milestone in national efforts to develop a secondary market for such loans. A secondary market is seen by many industry experts as a critical step in making low-cost capital readily available to finance greater residential energy conservation improvements by homeowners, and the Keystone HELP sale was among the first of its kind in the country.
National energy leaders viewed Pennsylvania’s sale of debt for residential energy efficiency upgrades as a potential prototype that could provide valuable information about how secondary market investors can approach future deals.
McCord also thanked the state Department of Environmental Protection for its ongoing partnership with Keystone HELP across two administrations, and he expressed gratitude for valuable access to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, which helps Treasury to offer the loans at low interest rates while still generating a market-based return for Pennsylvania.
For more information, visit www.patreasury.gov.
Media contact: Gary Tuma, 717-787-2465 or gtuma@patreasury.gov
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The text of the news release from State and Local Energy Report follows:
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Josh Wolfe
Publisher, State & Local Energy Report
Office: 718.596.6113
Email: josh@stateenergyreport.com
Energy Innovators Honored in Fifth Annual Residential Energy Efficiency Awards
State & Local Energy Report today announced the winners of its fifth annual Residential Energy Efficiency Awards, which recognize the best energy efficiency projects in the country that have leveraged government funds.
Winners were selected for their commitment to improving low-income housing while demonstrating innovation in funding, technology, and implementation that can be replicated by others in the industry.
"These are the organizations that put their hearts and minds to work finding solutions to our energy needs," said Josh Wolfe, co-publisher of State & Local Energy Report. "We couldn't be prouder of what they accomplish on a daily basis."
This year’s winners developed new models for investment, identified sustainable revenue streams, designed incredibly healthy buildings, and trained the energy efficiency workforce.
State & Local Energy Report announced winners in four categories.
The New Construction Award went to the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee for forging a successful public-private partnership that brought LEED-certified, affordable senior housing to an underserved community.
The Weatherization Award went to Virginia's New River Center for Energy Research and Training for their pioneering training methods and their ongoing commitment to advancing building science.
The Single-Family Award went to Keystone HELP, Pennsylvania's innovative energy efficiency loan program, which has opened up new markets for these types of loans and increased access to private sector capital for home energy retrofits.
The Multifamily Award went to Preservation of Affordable Housing, a national nonprofit, for restoring a troubled section of housing on Chicago's South Side and bringing hope, stability, and opportunities for self-advancement to its residents.
Two more groups, Kentucky Home Performance and Virginia's Local Energy Alliance Program, received honorable mentions for developing and implementing new residential energy efficiency programs in their states.
Winners received national exposure in the spring 2013 issue of State & Local Energy Report, as well as equipment and professional certifications donated by leading industry vendors.
For more information on this year's Residential Energy Efficiency Award Winners, visit www.StateEnergyReport.com.
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About State & Local Energy Report
The mission of State and Local Energy Report is to facilitate greater dialogue on energy-related issues among federal, state and local energy officials. The magazine reaches nearly 8,000 readers representing all levels of government, as well as energy industry policymakers and implementers.
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