HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 7917
City of Palo Alto (ID # 7917)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Informational Report Meeting Date: 4/17/2017
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Financing Sustainable Cities
Title: Financing Sustainable Cities: Financing Scan and Toolkit for Municipal
Sustainability Initiatives
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Manager
Recommended Motion
This is an informational report and requires no Council Action.
Discussion
In 2016, the City of Palo Alto and seven other member cities from the Urban Sustainability
Directors Network (USDN.org) worked with HIP Investor (funded by an $85,000 grant from the
Global Philanthropies Partnership) to produce the Financing Sustainable Cities Scan and “How-
To Toolkit”1. The goals of the project included:
Developing an annotated compendium of financing strategies—beyond general fund
and enterprise funds—that cities could potentially use to secure and allocate in support
of sustainability and climate initiatives.
Engage a coalition of cities to explore collaborative finance solutions.
Explore development of a first-of its-kind regional muni bond with specific GHG and
Climate Action metrics.
Provide a template for local communications in cities, their stakeholders and potential
co-funders/investors to assist sustainability directors, Chief Sustainability Officers (CSO)
and Chief Financial Officers (CFO) in packaging and presenting funding options to city
specific council and community decision-makers.
The toolkit guides sustainability professionals in framing projects in investable deal terms,
extending their access to financial resources beyond General Fund and Enterprise Funds, and
speaking the language of a CFO, calculating Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment
(ROI), pay back periods, etc.
1 http://usdn.org/public/page/56/Innovation-Products
City of Palo Alto Page 2
The Scan was led by HIP Investor, anchored by the Palo Alto Office of Sustainability and in close
collaboration with the seven other project Cities: Ann Arbor MI; Berkeley CA; Ithaca NY;
Milwaukee WI; Oakland CA; Phoenix AZ; and Vancouver BC. It includes summary of current and
emerging financing tools and mechanisms for funding Climate Action Plans (“CAP”) pipeline of
projects from more than 40 cities. The team collated and analyzed sustainability projects and
goals of all project cities, and mapped them to the suitable financing mechanisms. The scan also
includes input from investor interviews, identifying challenges and funding needs, and matching
tools that may be helpful in addressing cities specific financing challenges.
The project culminated with a day-long workshop for municipal CFOs and CSOs from 20 cities
and about 30 funders/investors June 16, 2016 in San Francisco. Palo Alto was represented by
Chief Sustainability Officer Gil Friend, Chief Financial Officer Lalo Perez, and Sustainability
Analyst Sarah Isabel Moe. The workshop provided a unique in-person opportunity for educating
CSOs and CFOs about each other’s perspectives and needs; and possible pathways for
identifying and communicating social, environmental and financial returns on sustainability
projects. Presentations included:
Background on Low-Carbon Economy
The Scan and Toolkit
Best financing options for different initiatives
How to find, structure and secure the financing.
Modernizing public finance through online platforms
Green bonds, and other innovative uses of bonds
CSOs got to deep dive into financial mechanisms that have worked to fund projects like the
ones they are focused on. Breakout groups, organized around common project goals,
challenges and opportunities, were guided by experts in renewable energy, microgrids, energy
efficiency, water and waste programs, mobility and other topics. The event was an opportunity
for both learning and community building with investors, including fund managers, investment
bankers, and other financing providers, with the expectation that interested participants would
pursue private conversations in pursuit of their respective objectives.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Financing Sustainable Cities Infographic
Attachment B: Financing Sustainable Cities Scan and Tookit
CITY
BUDGETS
EXTERNAL
FUNDERS
PARTNERS
Taxes
User Fees
Property
Tax
Carbon Tax
Value Capture Tools
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Parcel Tax, Multi-jurisdiction
Transportation / Gasoline,
with rebate to city
Citywide Energy
Big Polluters
New Energy
Fee
New
Development
Fee
New
Transport
Fee
Low-and Zero- Emission
Renewable Energy Credits
Public Benefit Funds
Developer Impact Fees
Feebates & Density Bonuses
Traffic Congestion
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging
Investments
Grants
Bonds
Leases
+ Loans
Funds +
Special
Investments
General Obligation
Green Bonds
QECB: Qualified Energy Conservation Bond
QZAB: Qualified Zone Academy Bond
Industrial Revenue Bond
Lease Revenue Bonds
Pooled Bond Financing
Energy Efficiency Loans
Lease Purchase Agreement
PACE Loans
On-bill Financing
State-Based Loans
Federal Loans
Utility Loans
Infrastructure Bank Financing
Revolving Loan Funds
Social Impact Bonds
Catastrophe Bond Issuance
Loan Loss Reserve Funds
IFC, WorldBank
CleanCities.Energy.GovSources +
Tools
Toolkit.Climate.Gov
DSIRE.org; eCivis.com; Grants.gov
Wells Fargo’s Clean Tech Grants Clean Energy Group’s Solar + Storage
Foundations Donor-funded “accelerators” + competitions
Strategies +
Tools
Water Reclamation Partnership
Multi-Sector Partnership
Multi-Company Financing for NYC
Public Private Partnerships
Community Choice Aggregation
Group Purchasing
Power Purchase Agreements
Pay for Performance Contract
Combining Financing via Private Ownership
FINANCING
SUSTAINABLE
CITIES
Vancouver, BC
Boulder, CO
Montgomery County, MD
Connecticut
Montana
Oakland, CA
Vancouver, BC
Stockholm, Sweden
Berkeley, CA
WMATA in Wash DC
Denver, CO / Phoenix, AZ
Bay Area, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Los Angeles, CA
Richmond, CA
Kalispell, MT
San Francisco PUC / California I-Bank
Community College League of California
Virginia Counties
Milwaukee, WI
Baltimore, MD / Tennessee Valley Authority
San Francisco, CA
NYSERDA
California FIRST
FHA
PG&E
San Bernardino, CA
CLEEN
Philadelphia, PA
Kansas City, MO
Apple Inc. + City of Sunnyvale, CA
Mountain View, CA + Google + CalStart +ABC + Motiv Power
Customer Revenue + Equity + Sponsorships + Credit Facility
City of London and the Boiler Cashback Scheme
Marin Clean Energy
Brooklyn Community MicroGrid
Ameresco + Rappahannock (VA) Regional Landfill
Ithaca NY: Wastewater / Biodigester
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Boulder, CO
Financing
Category
Financing
Source
Financing
Types FINANCIAL MECHANISMS EXAMPLES IN CITIES
Cross-Sector
Partnerships
Potential Pension Plan Tool
Source: Financing Sustainable Cities report, by USDN + HIP Inverstor + City of Palo Alto
Hotlink websites: usdn.org hipinvestor.com cityofpaloalto.org
FINANCING SUSTAINABLE CITIES: Spectrum of Financial Mechanisms and City Examples
Financing Sustainable Cities
FINANCING SUSTAINABLE CITIES
SCAN & TOOLKIT
October 2016
A Scan of Financing
Mechanisms, Key Metrics,
& Potential Funders
for Climate Action
Executive Summary, pages 1 to 54
Full Report, pages 56 to 251
1
Financing Sustainable Cities
•What:Financing Sustainable Cities: A Toolkit
•Who:Leaders with sustainability initiatives in cities
•Why:Learn how to craft investable deals that
serve city needs for capital and investors’ desire
to achieve transformational climate action
•Section I) Specify your climate-action goals
Learning II) Scan the spectrum of financing mechanisms
Goals:III) Understand meaningful key metrics, esp. ROI
IV) Learn about investors, advisors and funders
V) Follow the 5-Steps of this Financing Toolkit
Each page will have this Tracker in the footer below
so you know where you are among the 5 sections.
2
This Toolkit for Financing Sustainable Cities
is for City Leaders in Sustainability & Finance
Financing Sustainable Cities
Acknowledgments: Thank You to
a Wide Collaboration of Leaders & Experts
•USDN:USDN: Multi-national network of 155 cities in the
Urban Sustainability Directors Network
•GPP:Funding and support for this project from
Global Philanthropy Partners (GPP)
•Lead city:City of Palo Alto CA (Lead city)
•Project cities:Ann Arbor MI; Berkeley CA; Ithaca NY;
Milwaukee WI; Oakland CA; Phoenix AZ;
Vancouver BC
•Cities, Investors and Experts at the June 29, 2016 Convening
•HIP (Human Impact + Profit) Investor Inc.:
Author of report; co-producer of Convening;
Leader in sustainable finance,
impact ratings & portfolios
3
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Visual presentations are easier to read for new, complex info
–Each example of financing sustainable cities is typically one page.
–Each financing mechanism is categorized by type of capital source.
•This toolkit is designed so you can easily re-use the content
and PPT slides for your climate-action presentations
–Find examples that match your goals and funding possibilities.
•You can also more easily educate your city leaders and
colleagues using all or some of these presentation slides.
4
Why Is This Toolkit a Visual PPT Presentation?
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
5
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
80% GHG Reductions by 2050
(or sooner, like 2030 for Palo Alto)
…with Positive ROI
* ROI = Return on Investment (see how to calc in section III, p. 181)
As a sustainability leader, with your finance team, you can :
(1) select from this catalog of financial mechanisms to fund
climate action for your GHG goals; and
(2) follow a 5-step process for matching investable
opportunities with potential funders and investors.
6
Cities Have Aggressive Climate Action Goals –
Some Of Which Are Financially Attractive
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investor
Ready
Reduce
GHGs
Positive
ROI
7
When Climate Action Reduces GHGs with Positive
ROI, those City Initiatives Are Investor-Ready
Financing Sustainable Cities
GHG Reductions:
Positive ROI
(“negative-cost”)
GHG Reductions: Costs Currently
Exceed Financial Benefits
8
Climate Actions that Reduce GHGs
Offer Some Projects with Positive ROI
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Actions Can Seek Capital from 3 Sources:
Your City Budget, Outside Funders, and Partners
Your
Climate-Action
Capital Needs
Budget with
Your City
Finance Group
Find Investors
or Grantmakers
Create
Cross-Sector
Partnerships
The next Section will describe
Financial Sources & Mechanisms from all 3 Groups
9
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
10
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
Click the link to jump to that section
11
Climate Action Can Seek 5 Types of Capital:
Taxes, Fees, Financing, Grants, & Partnerships
Financing Sustainable Cities 12
All Financing Mechanisms Summarized In this Scan
This summary is also published as a one-page handout
Financing Sustainable Cities
More Bond EXAMPLES
•Industrial Revenue Bonds
–San Francisco PUC
–California I-Bank
•Lease Revenue Bonds
–Community College League of California
•Pooled Bond Financing
–Virginia Counties
Lease & Loan EXAMPLES (1 of 2)
•Energy efficiency loans
•Milwaukee WI
•Lease Purchase Agreement
•Baltimore MD
•Tennessee Valley Authority
•PACE Loans
•San Francisco CA
New Property Tax EXAMPLES
•Value Capture Tools:
•WMATA in Wash DC
•Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
•Denver CO
•Phoenix AZ
•Parcel Tax, Multi-jurisdiction
•Bay Area CA
New Energy Fee EXAMPLES
•Low-and Zero-Emission
Renewable Energy Credits
•Connecticut
•Public benefit funds
•Montana
New Development Fee EXAMPLES
•Developer Impact Fees
•Oakland CA
•Feebates & Density Bonuses
•Vancouver BC
New Transport Fee EXAMPLES
•Traffic Congestion
•Stockholm
•Electric Vehicle (EV)
Charging
•Berkeley CA
Bond EXAMPLES
•General Obligation
•Philadelphia PA
•Green Bonds
•Los Angeles CA
•QECB: Qualified Energy Conservation Bond
•Richmond CA
•QZAB: Qualified Zone Academy Bond
•Kalispell MT
LIVE Carbon Tax EXAMPLES
•Transportation / gasoline, with
rebate to city
•Vancouver BC
•Citywide energy
•Boulder CO
•Big polluters
•Montgomery County
MD
13
All Financing Mechanisms Summarized In this Scan
with Linked Examples (1 of 2)
Click the link to jump to that example
Financing Sustainable Cities
Lease & Loan EXAMPLES (2 of 2)
•On-bill Financing
•NYSERDA
•State-Based Loans
•California FIRST
•National Loans
•FHA
•Utility loans
•PG&E
More EXAMPLES
•Infrastructure Bank Financing
•San Bernardino CA
•Revolving Loan Funds
•CLEEN
•Social Impact Bonds
•Philadelphia PA
•Catastrophe Bond Issuance
•Loan Loss Reserve Funds
•Kansas City
Grant EXAMPLES
•IFC, WorldBank
•CleanCities.Energy.Gov
•Toolkit.Climate.Gov
•DSIRE.org; eCivis.com;
Grants.gov
•Wells Fargo
Foundation’s Clean
Tech Grants
•Clean Energy Group’s
Solar + Storage
•Donor-funded
competitions
•Donor-funded
“accelerators”
PARTNERSHIP EXAMPLES
Water Reclamation Partnership
Apple Inc. + City of Sunnyvale CA
Multi-Sector Partnership
Mountain View CA + Google + CalStart +
ABC + Motiv Power
Multi-Company Financing for New York
City
Customer Revenue + Equity +
Sponsorships + Credit Facility
Public Private Partnerships
City of London and the Boiler Cashback
Scheme
Community Choice Aggregation
Marin Clean Energy
Group Purchasing
Brooklyn Community MicroGrid
Power Purchase Agreements
Ameresco + Rappahannock (VA) Regional
Landfill
Pay for Performance Contract
Ithaca NY: Wastewater/Biodigester
Combining Financing via Private
Ownership
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Boulder, CO
14
All Financing Mechanisms Summarized In this Scan
with Linked Examples (2 of 2)Click the link to jump to that example
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
15
With the Power to Create New Taxes, or Shift
Existing Taxes, Cities Can Fund Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Taxes
Income
Property
Sales
Tourism
Utilities
“Sin”
“Externality”
New Property Tax
EXAMPLES
•Value Capture Tools:
•WMATA in Wash DC
•Tax Increment Financing
(TIF)
•Denver CO
•Phoenix AZ
•Parcel Tax, Multi-
jurisdiction
•Bay Area CA
Click the link to jump to that example
16
As Climate Actions Improve Livability and
Mobility, New Property Taxes Can Be Applied
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Taxes
Income
Property
Sales
Tourism
Utilities
“Sin”
“Externality”
LIVE Carbon Tax
EXAMPLES
•Transportation /
gasoline, with
rebate to city
•Vancouver BC
•Citywide energy
•Boulder CO
•Big polluters
•Montgomery
County MD
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
17
Several Version of a Tax on GHGs,
or “Carbon Taxes,” Have Been Implemented
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
18
Cities Can Charge Fees to Users
to Fund Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transport
Sources of GHGs
•Fossil fuels
•Infrastructure
•Methane
•Construction
•Driving fossil cars
•Fossil-fuel vehicles
19
City FEES Charge Users Directly for Services,
which Also Frequently Tie to Sources of GHGs
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transportation
New Energy Fee
EXAMPLES
•Low-and Zero-
Emission
Renewable Energy
Credits
•Connecticut
•Public benefit
funds
•Montana
Click the link to jump to that example
20
New Types of City FEES Can Fund Climate
Solutions More Easily from Direct Customers
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transportation
New Development
Fee EXAMPLES
•Developer Impact
Fees
•Oakland CA
•Feebates & Density
Bonuses
•Vancouver BC
Click the link to jump to that example
21
New Types of City FEES Can Fund Climate
Solutions More Easily from Direct Customers
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transportation
New Transport Fee
EXAMPLES
•Traffic Congestion
•Stockholm
•Electric Vehicle (EV)
Charging
•Berkeley CAClick the link to jump to that example
22
New Types of City FEES Can Fund Climate
Solutions More Easily from Direct Customers
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
23
Investors Can Fund Climate Action,
Especially If ROIs Are Positive
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
Bond EXAMPLES
•General Obligation
•Philadelphia PA
•Green Bonds
•Los Angeles CA
•QECB: Qualified Energy
Conservation Bond
•Richmond CA
•QZAB: Qualified Zone
Academy Bond
•Kalispell MT
Click the link to jump to that example
24
Climate Action with Positive ROI
Can Be Attractive for All Types of Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
More Bond EXAMPLES
•Industrial Revenue
Bonds
–San Francisco PUC
–California I-Bank
•Lease Revenue Bonds
–Community College
League of California
•Pooled Bond Financing
–Virginia Counties
Click the link to jump to that example
25
Climate Action with Positive ROI
Can Be Attractive for All Types of Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
LEASE & LOAN
EXAMPLES (1 of 2)
•Energy efficiency
loans
•Milwaukee WI
•Lease Purchase
Agreement
•Baltimore MD
•Tennessee Valley
Authority
•PACE Loans
•San Francisco CA
Click the link to jump to that example
26
Climate Action with Positive ROI Can Be
Attractive for All Types of Loans & Leases
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
LEASE & LOAN
EXAMPLES (2 of 2)
•On-bill Financing
•NYSERDA
•State-Based
Loans
•California FIRST
•National Loans
•FHA
•Utility loans
•PG&E
Click the link to jump to that example
27
Climate Action with Positive ROI Can Be
Attractive for All Types of Loans & Leases
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
More EXAMPLES
•Infrastructure Bank
Financing
•San Bernardino CA
•Revolving Loan Funds
•CLEEN
•Social Impact Bonds
•Philadelphia PA
•Catastrophe Bond
Issuance
•Loan Loss Reserve Funds
•Kansas City
Click the link to jump to that example
Climate Action Solutions & Risks Can Be Financed by
Innovative Investor Mechanisms
28
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
29
Donors Who Focus on Climate Action
Can Grant Funds to GHG-Reduction Initiatives
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Donor Grants
MultiLateral
Federal
State or Province
Community
Foundation
Corporate
Foundation
Institutional
Foundation
Families & their
Foundations
Donor Grant EXAMPLES
•IFC, WorldBank
•CleanCities.Energy.Gov
•Toolkit.Climate.Gov
•DSIRE.org; eCivis.com;
Grants.gov
•Wells Fargo
Foundation’s Clean
Tech Grants
•Clean Energy Group’s
Solar + Storage
•Donor-funded
competitions
•Donor-funded
“accelerators”
Click the link to jump to that example
30
Investors Seeking
Tax Deductions,
and Donors
Seeking Impact
Provide GRANTS
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
31
Partners From the Business and Social Sectors
Can Team with Cities for Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Partners Cross Sector
Partnerships
Public Private
Partnerships
With
Employers
With
Communities
With Stakeholders
Corporate &
Financial Firms
Group Purchasing
Power Purchasing
Performance
Contracts
32
Creative Use of PARTNERSHIPS
Can Unlock New Funding & Resources
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Water Reclamation Partnership
Apple Inc. + City of Sunnyvale CA
•Multi-Sector Partnership
Mountain View CA + Google +
CalStart + ABC + Motiv Power
•Multi-Company Financing for
New York City
Customer Revenue + Equity +
Sponsorships + Credit Facility
•Public Private Partnerships
City of London and the Boiler
Cashback Scheme
•Community Choice Aggregation
Marin Clean Energy
•Group Purchasing
Brooklyn Community MicroGrid
•Power Purchase Agreements
Ameresco + Rappahannock (VA)
Regional Landfill
•Pay for Performance Contract
Ithaca NY:
Wastewater/Biodigester
•Combining Financing via Private
Ownership
St. John’s Episcopal Church,
Boulder, CO
Click the link to jump to that example
33
Examples of Cross-Sector Partnerships:
Results from Joint Creative Approaches
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
34
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
•FINANCIAL metrics, especially for investors
–Return on Investment, ROI (%)
–Payback (years)
–Net Present Value, or NPV ($)
–Internal Rate of Return, IRR (%)
•ENVIRONMENTAL metrics, for climate solutions
–GHGs as comprehensive measure (tons)
–Impact from “externalities” (polluted water, air, land)
–Social cost of carbon pollution, including impact on health ($/ton)
•CITIZEN engagement, essential for support
–Understand citizen-reported top priorities and build links to them
Click the link to jump to that example
35
Three Categories of Key Metrics Are
Important for Financing Sustainable Cities
Financing Sustainable Cities 36
Combining GHG and ROI In One View Focuses
Attention on the Most Important Initiatives
City of Palo Alto Staff Report 1/25/2016: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/50693
GHG Reductions
with Positive ROI
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investor
Ready
Reduce
GHGs
Positive
ROI
37
When Climate Action Reduces GHGs with Positive
ROI, those City Initiatives Are Investor-Ready
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
38
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities 39
Investing Is Evolving to Explicitly Seek Out
Environmental Solutions & Climate Action
Source: Sonen Capital; http://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org/socent-blog1/2015/6/11/beyond-the-big-players
Financing Sustainable Cities
•An entire global industry has evolved for the prudent
management of these assets, complete with tax policy,
education and certifications, fiduciary duties, and investment
and financial management tools.
•Across the spectrum of financial instruments, we expect to
see a direct correlation between risk and return: the higher
the potential risk, the greater the potential return. Some
investors are naturally conservative and some are more long
term growth oriented.
40
Investors: Seeking to Grow Capital
While Solving Societal Problems
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investors come in all flavors. Each investor type fills a role in the investment universe
–and includes advisors and fund managers, as well as donor advisors.
INVESTORS DONORS
–Family offices -Community Foundations
–Foundations -Charitable Advisors
–Pensions & retirement plans -Donor advised funds
–Investor Networks
–Investment advisors
–Mutual fund managers
–Separate-account managers
–Private debt funds
–Private equity funds
–Big banks
–Community banking
–Sustainable banking
–New platforms for muni bonds
41
Investors: Seeking to Grow Capital
While Solving Societal Problems
Financing Sustainable Cities
Family Offices
Rockefeller & Co.
Capricorn
Foundations
Kresge Foundation
Sierra Club
Wallace Global Fund
Pensions
CalPERS
CalSTRS
NY State Pension Fund
42
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investors &
Networks
PRI and GIIN
Global Nexus
Advisors to
Investors
Threshold Group
Trillium Asset Mgmt.
Sonen Capital
Fund
Managers
Community Capital Mgmt
Closed Loop Fund
Clean Fund
43
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Big Banks
Goldman Sachs
Morgan Stanley
Sustainable Banks New Resource
Bank
New Platforms Neighborly
44
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Community
Foundations
East Bay
Community Fdtn
SF Community
Foundation
Silicon Valley
Community Fdtn
Charitable
Advisors Arabella Advisors
Donor Advised
Funds Impact Assets
45
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Local impact enables investors to see, hear and feel the benefits;
•Climate-action projects can be a focus of place-based investing
From Leonardo Vazquez,The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking;www.artsbuildcommunities.org
46
Place-based Investing Is A Focused
Approach for Impact Investors To Fund Climate-Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
47
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
•Following these 5 steps can lead to funding for sustainable city projects
•Each step has an explanation page in the Executive Summary and the
Full Report…
•…and, in the detailed Full Report, each step provides an example with
details of how to pursue funding for sustainable city projects.
48
Five Steps to Funding Your
Sustainable City Projects
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Answer 7 questions:
1.Who are the stakeholders, and thus possible partners ?
(e.g. corporate,NGO, philanthropic, federal,state, utility, commission)
2.Who benefits –and who pays?
3.What revenue streams can be collected and for how long?
4.What is the timeframe to implement the project?
5.What are the complete lifecycle costs?
6.Is there a positive ROI, NPV, IRR and payback?Is it in the budget?
Or does it need a new financing tool?
7.How could you best match the financing mechanism to the
project characteristics?
49
Step 1: Answer 7 Questions
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
50
Step 2: Build The Factsheet,
with your Finance Team
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Your
Climate-Action
Capital Needs
Budget with
Your City
Finance Group
Find Investors,
or Grantmakers
Create Public
Private
Partnerships
Taxes
User Fees
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partnerships
51
Step 3: Consult with Capital Sources,
Starting with your City and Exploring Investors, Donors
and Partners
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Financing mechanisms are flexible, yet some may better match a particular need. The
sample template highlights specific characteristics to help in deciding which
financial mechanisms can fit your project –and a particular funder’s focus.
52
Step 4: Determine the Best Financial
Mechanism with Your Experts
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
•Your climate-action projects require working internally with city staff, and
possibly with outside funders or partners.
•Executing the financing is an interactive, dynamic process.
•The financing mechanisms and case studies in this Toolkit provide a
catalog of possibilities for your climate-action projects to be funded –
and to deliver potential GHG reductions.
53
Step 5: Engage Investors & Partners,
and Execute Your Financing Deal
Financing Sustainable Cities
•HIP (Human Impact + Profit) Investor Inc.
experts in sustainable finance
R. Paul Herman, CEO, Paul@HIPinvestor.com
Lauryn Agnew, expert, LaurynAgnew@SealCoveFinancial.com
Nick Gower, manager, Nick@HIPinvestor.com
•Lead USDN city: City of Palo Alto CA
Gil Friend, Chief Sustainability Officer,
Gil.Friend@CityOfPaloAlto.org
Sarah Isabel Moe, sustainability analyst
Sarah.Moe@DNVGL.com
•USDN:Urban Sustainability
Directors Network, usdn.org
Nils Moe, Managing Director
NilsMoe@usdn.org
54
About the Authors:
Contact Us for Questions, or to Share New Examples
Financing Sustainable Cities 55
The Full Report starts on the next page.
Financing Sustainable Cities
FINANCING SUSTAINABLE CITIES
SCAN & TOOLKIT
October 2016
A Scan of Financing
Mechanisms, Key Metrics,
& Potential Funders
for Climate Action
Executive Summary, pages 1 to 54
Full Report, pages 56 to 251
56
Financing Sustainable Cities
•What:Financing Sustainable Cities: A Toolkit
•Who:Leaders with sustainability initiatives in cities
•Why:Learn how to craft investable deals that
serve city needs for capital and investors’ desire
to achieve transformational climate action
•Section I) Specify your climate-action goals
Learning II) Scan the spectrum of financing mechanisms
Goals:III) Understand meaningful key metrics, esp. ROI
IV) Learn about investors, advisors and funders
V) Follow the 5-Steps of this Financing Toolkit
Each page will have this Tracker in the footer below
so you know where you are among the 5 sections.
57
This Toolkit for Financing Sustainable Cities
is for City Leaders in Sustainability & Finance
Financing Sustainable Cities
Acknowledgments: Thank You to
a Wide Collaboration of Leaders & Experts
•USDN:USDN: Multi-national network of 155 cities in the
Urban Sustainability Directors Network
•GPP:Funding and support for this project from
Global Philanthropy Partners (GPP)
•Lead city:City of Palo Alto CA (Lead city)
•Project cities:Ann Arbor MI; Berkeley CA; Ithaca NY;
Milwaukee WI; Oakland CA; Phoenix AZ;
Vancouver BC
•Plus, Cities, Investors and Experts at the June 29, 2016 Convening
•HIP (Human Impact + Profit) Investor Inc.:
Author of report; co-producer of Convening;
Leader in sustainable finance,
impact ratings & portfolios
58
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Visual presentations are easier to read for new, complex info
–Each example of financing sustainable cities is typically one page.
–Each financing mechanism is categorized by type of capital source.
•This toolkit is designed so you can easily re-use the content
and PPT slides for your climate-action presentations
–Find examples that match your goals and funding possibilities.
•You can also more easily educate your city leaders and
colleagues using all or some of these presentation slides.
59
Why Is This Toolkit a Visual PPT Presentation?
Financing Sustainable Cities
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals………………………..…..61
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital……………..71
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them……………..………181
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions ……198
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects ..232
VI.Additional Resources & Scans……………………………………249
60
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
61
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities 62
http://climate.nasa.gov/system/content_pages/main_images/203_co2-graph-021116.jpeg
Dramatic 80% GHG Reductions Are Required to Stop
the Rise in Global Carbon Intensity, Now 400+ PPM
Financing Sustainable Cities
80% GHG Reductions by 2050
(or sooner, like 2030 for Palo Alto)
…with Positive ROI
* ROI = Return on Investment (see how to calc in section III, p. 179)
The goal of this Scan and Toolkit is to:
(1) share a catalog of financial mechanisms that can be
used to fund climate action for your GHG goals; and
(2) share a 5-step process for matching investable
opportunities with investors.
63
Cities Have Aggressive Climate Action Goals –
Some Of Which Are Financially Attractive
Financing Sustainable Cities
City of Palo Alto Staff Report 1/25/2016: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/50693
64
Cities in the Climate Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA) Are
Committed to 80%-100% GHG Reductions by 2050 or Sooner
Financing Sustainable Cities
City of Palo Alto Staff Report 1/25/2016:
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/50693
65
To Pursue 80% Reductions, Cities like Palo Alto
Have Designed Comprehensive Strategic Plans
Financing Sustainable Cities
GHG Reductions:
Positive ROI
(“negative-cost”)
GHG Reductions: Costs Currently
Exceed Financial Benefits
66
Climate Actions That Reduce GHGs
Offer Some Projects With Positive ROI
Financing Sustainable Cities
GHG Reductions
with Positive ROI
67
Positive ROI Projects include LED Lighting, Retrofits
and Recycling; These Actions Could Be Investor-Funded
Financing Sustainable Cities
City of Palo Alto Staff Report 1/25/2016: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/50693
GHG Reductions
with Positive ROI
68
You Can Construct A Similar View for Your City;
In Palo Alto, Several Initiatives Are Positive ROI
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investor
Ready
Reduce
GHGs
Positive
ROI
69
When Climate Action Reduces GHGs with Positive
ROI, those City Initiatives Are Investor-Ready
Financing Sustainable Cities
Your
Climate-Action
Capital Needs
Budget with Your
City Finance
Group
Find Investors
or Grantmakers
Create
Cross-Sector
Partnerships
The next Section will describes
Financial Sources & Mechanisms from all 3 Groups
70
Climate Actions Can Seek Capital from 3 Sources:
Your City Budget; Outside Funders; and Partners
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
71
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
Click the link to jump to that section
72
Climate Action Can Seek 5 Types of Capital:
Taxes, Fees, Financing, Grants, & Partnerships
Financing Sustainable Cities 73
All Financing Mechanisms Summarized In this Scan
This summary is also published as a one-page handout
Financing Sustainable Cities
More Bond EXAMPLES
•Industrial Revenue Bonds
–San Francisco PUC
–California I-Bank
•Lease Revenue Bonds
–Community College League of California
•Pooled Bond Financing
–Virginia Counties
LEASE & LOAN EXAMPLES (1 of 2)
•Energy efficiency loans
•Milwaukee WI
•Lease Purchase Agreement
•Baltimore MD
•Tennessee Valley Authority
•PACE Loans
•San Francisco CA
New Property Tax EXAMPLES
•Value Capture Tools:
•WMATA in Wash DC
•Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
•Denver CO
•Phoenix AZ
•Parcel Tax, Multi-jurisdiction
•Bay Area CA
New Energy Fee EXAMPLES
•Low-and Zero-Emission
Renewable Energy Credits
•Connecticut
•Public benefit funds
•Montana
New Development Fee EXAMPLES
•Developer Impact Fees
•Oakland CA
•Feebates & Density Bonuses
•Vancouver BC
New Transport Fee EXAMPLES
•Traffic Congestion
•Stockholm
•Electric Vehicle (EV)
Charging
•Berkeley CA
Bond EXAMPLES
•General Obligation
•Philadelphia PA
•Green Bonds
•Los Angeles CA
•QECB: Qualified Energy Conservation Bond
•Richmond CA
•QZAB: Qualified Zone Academy Bond
•Kalispell MT
LIVE Carbon Tax EXAMPLES
•Transportation / gasoline, with
rebate to city
•Vancouver BC
•Citywide energy
•Boulder CO
•Big polluters
•Montgomery County
MD
74
All Financing Mechanisms Summarized In this
Scan with Linked Examples (1 of 2)
Click the link to jump to that example
Financing Sustainable Cities
LEASE & LOAN EXAMPLES (2 of 2)
•On-bill Financing
•NYSERDA
•State-Based Loans
•California FIRST
•National Loans
•FHA
•Utility loans
•PG&E
More EXAMPLES
•Infrastructure Bank Financing
•San Bernardino CA
•Revolving Loan Funds
•CLEEN
•Social Impact Bonds
•Philadelphia PA
•Catastrophe Bond Issuance
•Loan Loss Reserve Funds
•Kansas City
Donor Grant EXAMPLES
•IFC, WorldBank
•CleanCities.Energy.Gov
•Toolkit.Climate.Gov
•DSIRE.org; eCivis.com;
Grants.gov
•Wells Fargo
Foundation’s Clean
Tech Grants
•Clean Energy Group’s
Solar + Storage
•Donor-funded
competitions
•Donor-funded
“accelerators”
PARTNERSHIP EXAMPLES
Water Reclamation Partnership
Apple Inc. + City of Sunnyvale CA
Multi-Sector Partnership
Mountain View CA + Google + CalStart +
ABC + Motiv Power
Multi-Company Financing for New York
City
Customer Revenue + Equity +
Sponsorships + Credit Facility
Public Private Partnerships
City of London and the Boiler Cashback
Scheme
Community Choice Aggregation
Marin Clean Energy
Group Purchasing
Brooklyn Community MicroGrid
Power Purchase Agreements
Ameresco + Rappahannock (VA) Regional
Landfill
Performance Contract
Ithaca NY: Wastewater/Biodigester
Creative Financing via Private
Ownership
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Boulder, CO
75
All Financing Mechanisms Summarized In this Scan
with Linked Examples (2 of 2)Click the link to jump to that example
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
76
With the Power to Create New Taxes, or Shift
Existing Taxes, Cities Can Fund Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Source: Tax Policy Center
77
US City Revenue Is Collected from Taxes, User Fees,
and Govt. Transfers (From States and Counties)
Financing Sustainable Cities 78
In California, the Majority of City Revenues
Are Primarily User Fees (39%), then Taxes (33%)
Source: Institute for Local Government (ca-ilg.org)
38.9%
32.7%
13.0%
9.4%
3.5%2.4%
City Revenue Sources (California)
User Fees
Taxes
Other Revenues and Other Financing
Sources
Intergov Agencies
Special Benefit Assessments,
Licenses, Permits, Fines, Forfeitures
Revenues from Use of Money and
Property
Financing Sustainable Cities
•e.g. New York City
•Home value
•Most purchases
•Hotels, rental cars
•Energy, water, telco
•Cigarettes, alcohol
•Pollution
City Budget Taxes
Income
Property
Sales
Tourism
Utilities
“Sin”
“Externality”
79
Cities Generate Revenue from Taxes on
Income, Property, Sales, & Other Sources
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Taxes
Income
Property
Sales
Tourism
Utilities
“Sin”
“Externality”
New Property Tax
EXAMPLES
•Value Capture Tools:
•WMATA in Wash DC
•Tax Increment Financing
(TIF)
•Denver CO
•Phoenix AZ
•Parcel Tax, Multi-
jurisdiction
•Bay Area CA
The next pages explain the concept,
and show an example; you can click
the links to jump to the examples
80
As Climate Actions Improve Livability and
Mobility, New Property Taxes Can Be Applied
Financing Sustainable Cities
Value Capture is a broad name for the variety of financing tools that depend on the
increase in the value of the community or district because of a public investment in
infrastructure.
Value Capture Tools can take the form of special assessments or capturing a portion of
the growth of future property tax values, which may be difficult to draw boundaries
for, or impose new and future fees and taxes on a particular group or area.
The basic underlying premise is beneficiaries of large infrastructure investments (like
property owners nearby an improved transit system) should contribute to its long
term financing as they receive long term benefits of appreciating property values. This
is a fundamental fairness concept, including in finance: those deriving the greatest
benefit from a service should pay the most for it.
Advantages: Those reaping the benefits of an investment are the ones to pay
Disadvantages: Special assessment tax districts can be difficult to set up or approve
81
Value-Capture Tools
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve regional transportation
Infrastructure, reduce traffic
and associated GHGs
Climate Action Solution:
•Long-term property-based
financing for transit infrastructure
82
Deal Terms:
•Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority (WMATA) is constructing a 23-
mile extension of the Metrorail system to
Dulles Airport and nearby communities
•Estimated $5.2 billion cost
•Commercial and Industrial property
owners will be charged an additional 22
cents per $100 of assessed value (in
addition to normal property taxes), special
assessment of five cents per $100 of
assessed value in the Phase 2 zone in
2010, rising to 20 cents per $100 of
assessed value.
•Value Capture as property values increase
from regional investment
http://www.metroplanning.org/news/6384/Value-Capture-Case-
Studies-Washington-DC-Metro-expansion-to-Dulles-Airport
Value Capture: Special Assessment
Example: Washington, D.C. Metro System expansion
Financing Sustainable Cities
Another value-capture tool is Tax Increment Financing, or TIF.
TIFs are a popular financing tool in 49 states (not Arizona) because it allows for a
municipality to borrow money in anticipation of future tax revenues.
Often a tool for blighted or underserved neighborhoods to attract private investment,
TIFs can fund the basic infrastructure in the district where the new growth is expected,
and can include funding for streets, sewers, parking facilities, land acquisition, planning
expenses, job training, demolition and clean-up costs, and including smart and green
infrastructure.
The original taxes on the property before the improvements are paid to the city as
normal, and the incremental new taxes are paid into a special fund that subsidizes
portions of the new development or repayment of the debt.
Advantages: Does not cost the taxpayer any up front tax increases
Disadvantages: Can create gentrification issues and fairness issues
83
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Fund redevelopment and
urban renewal infrastructure
Climate Action Solution:
•Use Tax Increment Financing to fund
infrastructure development
84
Deal and Terms
•DURA uses tax increment financing
to support redevelopment or
rehabilitation of blighted real
property throughout Denver.
•As a result of the redevelopment, the
assessed value of the property more
than quintupled to $5 million and
generated more than $380,000 in
property taxes.
•With Tax Increment Financing, DURA
captured the net new / incremental
increase in revenue (in this case,
$300,000) and the original taxing
entities continue to receive
(appreciation-adjusted) revenue as if
the site were still a vacant
manufacturing site ($80,000).
•http://urbanland.uli.org/economy-markets-trends/tax-increment-
financing-tweaking-tif-21st-centuryhttp://www.renewdenver.org/redevelopment/redevelopment-
sections/how-tax-increment-financing-tif-works.html;
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Example: Denver Urban Renewable Authority (DURA)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Redevelop 2 marginalized areas
with efficient GHG approach
Climate Action Solution:
•Finance infrastructure through
increases in future property values
85
Deal and Terms:
•An innovative financing
infrastructure for 2
underdeveloped areas to
accommodate significant, high-
density, mixed-use growth
•Meeting the area’s energy, water,
local transportation,
telecommunications and
infrastructure service needs.
•Coming soon: Terms to be
announced for Phoenix.
https://ecodistricts.org/an-innovative-financing-model-for-
communities
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Example: Phoenix Gateway EcoDistrict
Financing Sustainable Cities
A Property tax is a tax assessed on real estate and generally based on the value of
the property owned, as assessed by municipal governments.
A Parcel tax is a specific form of property tax with a rate based on the characteristics of a
parcel, rather than the value-based approach mentioned above.
A parcel tax is different than a traditional ad valorem property tax, in that it is imposed by
local government on a per-parcel basis. Parcel taxes are often used by special districts to
impose taxes for the purpose of education or land conservation. Most parcel taxes assess a
flat fee on each parcel of property, no matter its size or value, making them regressive by
definition: they put a larger burden on less expensive properties and lesser burden on
wealthy property owners. (Parcel taxes are used in California to circumvent Prop. 13, which
stated that property taxes based on the value of the house could not go up by more than 1%
per year.)
Advantages: Potentially easier to pass, as it is the same rate for all owners
Disadvantages: Considered regressive, as it does not take into account house value or
homeowner income
86
Parcel Tax, One or More Jurisdictions
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Wetlands restoration to fight sea level rise
Climate Action Solution:
•Regional parcel tax on property owners to
finance long term wetlands restoration
87
Deal and Terms
•BCDC’s $12 parcel tax over 9
counties surrounding the Bay
•Raises $500 million over the
next 20 years
•To build levees and restore
thousands of acres of
wetlands and tidal marshes as
buffer to storm surges and
floods in all Bay Area counties
•Required a 2/3 majority vote,
which was approved by voters
in all 9 Bay Area counties in
June 2016
http://www.bcdc.ca.gov ; http://www.marinij.com/article/NO/20160126/NEWS/160129833 ; www.adaptingtorisingtides.org ;
http://www.spur.org/news/2016-03-02/save-bay-again-vote-yes-measure-aa
Parcel Tax, Multi-Jurisdiction
Example: Bay Conservation Development Commission (BCDC)
for Regional Wetlands
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Taxes
Income
Property
Sales
Tourism
Utilities
“Sin”
“Externality”
Sales, Tourism, Utility & Sin Taxes
•Not currently used as a
financing tool for
sustainability
•Revenues from these taxes
could be directed to municipal
sustainability projects
While Products, Tourism, and “Sin” Categories Cause GHGs,
No Climate Action Initiatives Benefit from Specific Taxes Yet
(other than use of the General Fund)
88
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Taxes
Income
Property
Sales
Tourism
Utilities
“Sin”
“Externality”
LIVE Carbon Tax
EXAMPLES
•Transportation /
gasoline, with
rebate to city
•Vancouver BC
•Citywide energy
•Boulder CO
•Big polluters
•Montgomery
County MDThe next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
Several Version of a Tax on GHGs,
or “Carbon Taxes,” Have Been Implemented
89
Financing Sustainable Cities
Carbon taxes, Cap & Trade, Cap & Dividend are categories of financial tools that put a price
on carbon emissions.
•Cap and Trade programs determine a maximum amount of acceptable emissions from
many sources in the production or use of carbon and let the market determine the price
for being under or over the assigned emission level.
•Carbon taxes tend to be based on taxing the production of carbon based energy at its
source and using the proceeds as a dividend or rebate to residents and taxpayers to
accommodate for higher energy prices. In both cases the emissions produced from fossil
fuel are expected to cost more in the future and consumers and producers will be
incentivized to reduce consumption of energy from fossil fuels.
•Regional cap and trade programs, like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, in
the U. S. Northeast, and the Western Climate Initiative, WCI, in the West, show that these
programs can be effective in adding a price to carbon, and slowly changing behavior.
Adding a price for carbon will cause reductions in emissions. Use of the tools vary, heavily
depending on the influence of fossil fuel companies in the region. Cap and trade may be
more easily implemented since it may not require a vote, while carbon taxes may be more
transparent if the proceeds are distributed equitably.
Advantages: Taxes the source of pollution
Disadvantages: Implementing requires overcoming vested interests in high-fossil areas
90
Carbon Taxes & Tools
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce GHG emissions
Climate Action Solution:
•Tax fossil fuel usage, redistribute
revenue to climate-action solutions
91
Deal and Terms:
•All users pay a carbon tax, primarily on fossil
fuel/gasoline.
•The Province of B.C. transfers and effectively
“rebates”to the city nearly the full amount
to fund the Sustainability Office, climate-
action solutions, and grants in the
community
•The annual payments and rebates equal
nearly $900 million (Canadian $)
•Launched July 1, 2008 : C$10 per metric
tonne of CO2; tax grew by C$ 5/tonne
annually; reached current level of C$ 30 per
tonne of CO2 in July 2012; has not risen
since.
•At the U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate
(1.00/0.75) in November 2015, and
converting from tonnes to short tons, the
provincial tax now equates to approximately
$20.40 (U.S.) per short ton of CO2
http://www.carbontax.org/where-carbon-is-taxed/british-columbia; http://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/climate-and-renewables.aspx
Carbon Tax & Rebate to City
Example: Vancouver, British Columbia
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce GHG emissions
Climate Action Solution:
•Tax electricity use, then rebate
to finance upgrades
92
Deal and Terms
•Boulder’s carbon tax is levied on
electricity users, reduces emissions
by more than 100,000 tons a year
•At $18/ton (or a penny a pound),
Boulder collects $1.8 million/year
–Residential, $21/yr, $0.0049/kWh
–Commercial, $94/yr, $0.0009/kWh
–Industrial, $9600/yr, $0.0003/kWh
•Revenue funds business and
homeowner rebates on energy
efficiency equipment; expands bike
lanes; new community-based
solutions to reduce energy
consumption.
•82% of voters re-approved the
carbon tax after initial 5 years
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/02112015/boulder-taxed-its-way-climate-friendlier-future
Carbon Tax: All Energy Bills
Example: Boulder, Colorado
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce GHG emissions
Climate Action Solution:
•Tax largest producer of CO2;
fund energy efficiency
93
Deal and Terms:
•Montgomery County, one of Maryland's most
populous and wealthiest, expects to collect $10
MM to $15 MM annually from the $5 per ton
from any stationary source emitting more than
1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.
•The only source currently fitting that
description is an 850-megawatt coal-fired
power plant in the area.
•Records show that the Dickerson plant releases
3 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, the
county's largest single stationary emitter.
•At least half of the $10 million to $15 million
will seed a low interest loan program designed
to improve residential energy efficiency with
upgrades to windows, heating and ventilating
systems, and solar photovoltaic panels.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20100525/maryland-county-carbon-tax-law-could-set-example-rest-country
Carbon Tax: Big Polluters
Example: Montgomery County, Maryland
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
94
Cities Can Charge Fees to Users
to Fund Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transport
Sources of GHGs
•Fossil fuels
•Infrastructure
•Methane
•Construction
•Driving fossil cars
•Fossil-fuel vehicles
95
City FEES Charge Users Directly for Services,
which Also Frequently Tie to Sources of GHGs
Financing Sustainable Cities
Municipalities can impose user fees to cover the costs associated with funding
services or enhancements to increase the quality of life and cover administrative and
regulatory processes.
User fees can include tolls for drivers who use certain roads or bridges, licensing and
use fees, parking tickets, etc., which bring new revenue to the municipality to
improve services and infrastructure.
Cities need to consider the impact of user fees on the low income members who may
not be able to afford the new fees.
Advantages: Easy to implement for payment of infrastructure projects or upgrades
Disadvantages: Can raise inequality issues for services accessed by lower incomes.
96
User Fees
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•To help smaller towns secure
access to capital with lower costs
Climate Action Solution:
•Identify programs to create or
increase fees on new or existing
programs and services
97
Deal and Terms
Potential new or higher fees for:
•The convenience of paying a parking
ticket by phone or online
•Property tax account changes
charged a $50 fee.
•City-run program or renting a city-run
facility cost increased 3.7%
•A $50 registration for families signing
up for city recreation programs, gym
rental fees and drop-in swim fees.
•User fees can be linked more closely
to GHG producing activities, so that
higher fees could spur reduced GHGs
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=b3467729050f0410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
User Fees
Example: Toronto, Ontario: Uses Fees to Reduce Deficit
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transportation
ENERGY FEE
Examples
•Low-and Zero-
Emission
Renewable Energy
Credits
•Connecticut
•Public benefit
funds
•Montana
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
98
New Types of City FEES Can Fund Climate
Solutions More Easily from Direct Customers
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Develop alternative energy
revenue sources
Climate Action Solution:
•Sell low-(L-REC) and zero-emission
(Z-REC) renewable energy credits
to utilities
99
Deal and Terms
•Connecticut’s investor-owned utilities are
required to purchase $1.02 billion in LREC
and ZREC from clean energy projects over
six years, (the program is currently in its
5th year):
–$300 million for LRECs
–$720 million for ZRECs
•Utilities enter into 15-year contracts to
buy the credits from behind-the-meter
projects and pay a maximum of
$261.81/credit for ZRECs (ZREC projects
between 100 kW and 1,000 kW) and a
maximum of $200/credit for LRECs (LREC
projects that are up to 2,000 kW.)
•A potential revenue source for
microgrids and other clean energy
projects.http://microgridknowledge.com/connecticut-lrec-rfp
Low-and Zero-Emission
Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Purchases
Example: L-REC and Z-REC in Connecticut
Financing Sustainable Cities
Designed after the electric utilities were restructured in the late 1990s,
Public Benefit Funds (PBFs) generally aim to support renewable energy and
energy efficiency programs.
PBFs are pools of funds created by small fees or surcharges on the utility
bill, but many of these PBFs were raided by legislators who were not fully
obligated to follow the initial intent.
Easy to implement depending on the regulations, these can be a tool for
funding innovative programs.
Advantages: Relatively easy to implement with cooperation of utility
Disadvantages: Funds could be captured by the political process for other
purposes
10
0
Public Benefit Funds (PBFs)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Build a fund to encourage
development and adoption of
cleaner energy and energy
efficiency investments
Climate Action Solution:
•Collect a small fee through the
utilities to invest in community
101
Deal and Terms
•The Montana program supports cost-
effective energy conservation, low-
income customer weatherization,
renewable-energy projects and
applications, and R&D programs
•The surcharge was set through
electricity restructuring legislation and
was based on 2.4% of electric utilities'
1995 revenues.
•All electric utilities --including electric
cooperatives --must contribute
revenue generated from a surcharge
on customers' electricity use
•Approximately $9.4 million collected in
2011
http://energy.gov/savings/public-benefits-funds-renewables-and-efficiency
Public Benefit Funds
Example: Montana‘s Universal System Benefits Program
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transportation
Development Fees
EXAMPLES
•Developer Impact
Fees
•Oakland CA
•Feebates & Density
Bonuses
•Vancouver BC
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
102
New Types of City FEES Can Fund Climate
Solutions More Easily from Direct Customers
Financing Sustainable Cities
Governments can impose fees on developers to pay for the infrastructure services to be used
in their developments. These fees help the municipality to offset the impact of the new
development on the current population and cover the marginal cost increases. Fees can also
serve to help implement new policies and plans for sustainable growth. Higher-income
cities are increasingly using developer fees to impose affordable housing minimums.
Developer fees include:
Dedication Requirements: When developers start a new project, the municipality can require
a specific land use criteria or payment-in-lieu to offset the impact of the development on
long term goals, like open space per 1,000 people. A city may require a new development to
include smart, green, and intelligent design that is built into the development, and the
higher costs are then passed on to the purchaser. Costs for infrastructure like streets and
sidewalks, and green infrastructure policies like permeability and bio-swales can be put to
the developer to maintain the sustainability goals of the city for new developments.
Tap Fees: Improvements and upgrades to existing infrastructure from new developments.
Tap fees can also be tied to water and sewer connections, sometimes as a one-time fee based
on lot or building size.
Continued on the next page…
103
Developer Fees (part 1 of 2)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Linkage Fees: Linkage fees represent assessments to the developer to offset the
secondary impacts of the development, like in traffic congestion or the lack of
affordable housing. It can be an effective tool for raising funds from large scale
developments which the city can use to promote other objectives.
Impact Fees: Impact fees have continued to evolve as a tool for cities to raise new
revenues from developers. Cities in particularly hot real estate markets can extract
more fees from developers to fund additional service capacity requirements, such as
increasing sewer capacity, affordable housing, new schools and even new roads.
Cities can impose impact fees for compliance with green infrastructure policies but
not for normal operations or programs. Legislation generally defines what fees can
be imposed for what purposes.
Advantages: Easy to set fees through ordinances
Disadvantages: Developers resist higher fees, which could dampen development if
fees become too high and the developments become uneconomical
104
Developer Fees (part 2 of 2)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Revenue for sustainable
infrastructure & affordable housing
Climate Action Solution:
•Charge impact fees to
new developments
105
Deal and Terms
•Housing builders pay impact fees of
between $750 and $7,000 per market-
rate unit; lower rates in lower-income
areas as incentive
•By 2020, impact fees will be $13,000 to
$24,000 per unit (lower than
neighboring cities of Emeryville &
Berkeley, charging $28,000 per market-
rate unit)
•Goal: Prompt developers to include
affordable housing in more projects --
or pay a fee for every market-rate unit
they build so the city can build its own
affordable housing.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-to-impose-impact-fees-on-new-
housing-7280444.php
Developer Impact Fees
Example: Oakland, CA
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Incentivize energy efficiency in homes
Climate Action Solution:
•Develop Feebates and Density
Bonuses that encourage developers to
build smarter
106
Deal and Terms
•Proposed: a typical new home would
incur about $6000 in fees (all the
various types of permits).
–A revenue–neutral feebate system
would charge all new homes $3000
more per home at the time of permit
–Then pay back the builder the $3000
if the home meets a minimum
standard
•Allows for “density bonuses”in
multi-family homes by giving an extra
floor of height in exchange for
exceeding the energy performance
requirements of the code
•The builder pays a deposit upfront,
and then gets the deposit back if they
meet the standard for a higher
performing home
http://www.cnv.org/City-Services/Planning-and-Policies/Land-Use/Density-Bonusing
Feebates & Density Bonuses
Example: Vancouver, BC
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget Fees
Energy
Water/Sewer
Waste
Development
Licenses
Transportation
Transport Fees
Examples
•Traffic Congestion
•Stockholm
•Electric Vehicle (EV)
Charging
•Berkeley CAThe next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
107
New Types of City FEES Can Fund Climate
Solutions More Easily from Direct Customers
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce traffic congestion in the inner city
Climate Action Solution:
•Charge vehicles owners when traveling in
or out of the inner city during business
hours
108
Deal and Terms
•Before the fee, congestion was 530,000
vehicles per day and 800,000 transit
passengers each day
•Vehicle owners are required to pay the
congestion fee if their vehicle passes a
control point on way in or out of the
Stockholm inner city area on weekdays
between 6.30 a.m. and 6.29 p.m.
•10 Swedish Crowns (SEK), or US$1.50,
charged for off-peak travel across the
cordon boundary in both directions,
and up to 20 SEK (US$3.00) were
charged for peak-hour travel, with a
maximum charge of 60 SEK (US$9.00)
for a full day.
•Traffic congestion reduction of
20% since implemented http://www.accessmagazine.org/articles/spring-2011/political-public-
acceptability-congestion-pricing-ideology-self-interest-sweden;
http://www.toolsofchange.com/en/case-studies/detail/670
Traffic Congestion Fee
Example: Stockholm, Sweden
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Create energy assurance
& reduce GHG emissions
Climate Action Solution:
•Develop clean energy microgrid
with solar power energy &EV
charging stations in parking garages
109
Deal and Terms
•Design and feasibility analysis to be
grant funded. Funding for build,
operation, and maintenance TBD.
Exploring options for cross-sector and
public-private partnership
–Microgrid participants would buy
energy from the grid
–Allows for reduced energy costs to
microgrid participants subsidized
with parking and EVSE user fees
•Increases energy assurance for
municipal and potentially privately
owned buildings that require
uninterrupted energy flow during an
emergency
https://building-microgrid.lbl.gov/projects/energy-assurancemicrogrid-project
MicroGrid Enhanced with
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging & Parking Fees
Example: Berkeley, California
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
110
Investors Can Fund Climate Action,
Especially If ROIs Are Positive
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
111
Investors Provide FINANCING to Cities
via Bonds, Loans & Leases
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
Bond EXAMPLES
•General Obligation
•Philadelphia PA
•Green Bonds
•Los Angeles CA
•QECB: Qualified Energy
Conservation Bond
•Richmond CA
•QZAB: Qualified Zone
Academy Bond
•Kalispell MT
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
112
Climate Action with Positive ROI
Can Be Attractive for All Types of Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
More Bond EXAMPLES
•Industrial Revenue
Bonds
–San Francisco PUC
–California I-Bank
•Lease Revenue Bonds
–Community College
League of California
•Pooled Bond Financing
–Virginia Counties
113
Climate Action with Positive ROI
Can Be Attractive for All Types of Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities 114
Bonds bring immediate capital to build projects that will be repaid over the life of the project
asset. Municipalities (cities, counties, states, etc.) commonly issue General Obligation (G.O.)
bonds to investors with the promise to repay the investor with a level of certainty (default
risk), over a certain time period (maturity: 5 to 30 years) and with a certain return (coupon or
yield –in today’s markets, can be as low as 2%).
Most ‘muni’ bonds are repaid by general tax revenues, and are a common tool for financing
operations and long-term projects. Many taxable or private investors are attracted to muni
bonds as the interest income is not taxed at the Federal or state level. Tax-exempt investors
like endowments, foundations or pension plans generally are not interested in tax-free G.O.
muni bonds, (unless there is a federal subsidy, as with the Build America taxable muni bonds
of 2009). Yet low interest rates have spurred demand for taxable munis from European
investors facing negative interest-rate yields.
Advantages: A traditional reliable source for funding cities’ operations and projects, paid for
by the various taxes, fees and revenues collections over time.
Disadvantages: Affects debt limits, may be difficult to get new taxing approval
General Obligation Muni Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve livability of public spaces
Climate Action Solution:
•Issue long term general obligation
bonds to fund parks, libraries, city
services
115
Deal and Terms
•Philadelphia is proposing to sell $300
million in bonds and secure an
additional $200 million in state and
federal government and
philanthropic funding
•To focus investment on public
infrastructure in neighborhoods,
improving parks and recreation
centers
•A sale of city bonds requires voters to
approve the initiative via a ballot
question, or they can be sold through
a municipal authority
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/philadelphia-parks-libraries-recreation-
initiative-kenney
General Obligation Muni Bonds
Example: Philadelphia PA, $500 million
Financing Sustainable Cities
Green bonds are traditional bonds in terms of structure (credit rating, coupon and maturity)
that include a promise to use the proceeds to invest in specific environmentally related
projects, such as clean power and technology and energy efficiency, renewable energy,
carbon-reducing projects, climate change mitigation, public transport, water management,
energy and waste management.
Globally, green bonds have been issued by multi-national or supra-national organizations
(like the World Bank) and purchased by global insurance companies as a risk mitigation
investment for their climate risk exposure. More private and institutional investors seek
green bonds to align with their environmental, social and governance criteria in their
portfolios, and private investors have a growing interest in tax-exempt green muni bonds.
Repayment risk and general terms are likely to be nearly identical to other bonds issued by
the municipality, so borrowing terms have been similar as well. Demand for green bonds is
very strong currently.
Advantages: Global financial tool for funding ‘green’ projects. Could be a special issuance
bond for green projects. Demand from investors is high.
Disadvantages: Greater scrutiny may come to the green bond sector for verification of
‘greenness’ and impact; currently no requirement to deliver GHG reductions.
116
Green Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Enhance Water Infrastructure
Climate Action Solution:
•Issue green-bonds which are in high
demand by investors
117
Deal and Terms
•Los Angeles issued $100 million in
green bonds for wastewater system
revenue bonds.
–The City received ratings of
“AA+/AA+/AA+” from S&P, Fitch,
and Kroll
•Issued to finance the construction
and improvement of the wastewater
collection and treatment system of
the City through the sustainable
development of Green Projects.
•All-in TIC (True Interest Cost) =
3.945%, and an Average Life of 21.7
years for the 2015 A&B Bonds.
•Infrastructure includes 6,700 miles of
mainline sewers, 7 main interceptor
sewers, 44 pumping plants, and 4
City-owned water reclamation plants
http://emma.msrb.org/ER890479-ER695548-ER1097054.pdf
Water Infrastructure Green Bond
Example: Los Angeles, CA $100 million
Financing Sustainable Cities
Created in 2008, QECBs are a taxable muni bond designed to fund energy efficiency projects or
upgrades on public facilities (like solar), fund green demonstration projects, or develop energy
microgrids.
QZABs are a similarly structured muni bond designed to fund public schools in low income areas
–including for energy efficiency upgrades. To participate in this program, schools must either be
located in empowerment zones or enterprise communities, or have 35% or more of their student
body on the free and/or reduced lunch programs, plus additional regulations from the US
Department of Education.
In both instances, institutional tax-exempt investors would prefer these higher return bonds,
while the municipality relies on the federal government to pay the difference between the
borrowing costs for a muni bond versus a taxable bond.
Advantages: Low cost borrowing for energy conservation including for educational facilities in
low income areas
Disadvantages: Can be complicated to get the federal subsidy or arrange for tax credit to investor
118
Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds
(QECBs) & Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve energy efficiency in streetlights
Climate Action Solution:
•QECB lease purchase agreement issued
for LED lighting
119
Deal and Terms
•Issued $1.05 million of 15 year
QECBs to Bank of America as a
lease-purchase agreement.
•Notes priced at 6.79%, and the
city is receiving a 4.06% interest
rate subsidy, for a net interest
rate of 2.73%
•Over $500,000 from the issuance
used for street lighting upgrades
•Average energy savings of
45% in street lighting
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/06/f16/street-lighting-qecb.pdf
Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB)
Example: Richmond, CA $1 million
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve energy efficiency in
buildings
Climate Action Solution:
•QZAB bond and private
partnership for upgrades
120
Deal and Terms
•Energy efficiency improvements
in 12 public school buildings for
an expected savings of over
$140,000 annually.
•Borrow roughly $1.9 million in
loans to be repaid through
energy savings.
•Zero-interest rate (0%): U.S.
Department of Education
Qualified Zone Academy Bonds
•Requires a 10% private match
that would be fulfilled through
free services by private
contractor.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/members/schools-plan-energy-saving-projects/article_cfe98750-aa3a-11e2-837c-001a4bcf887a.html
Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB)
Example: Kalispell Montana School District
Financing Sustainable Cities
Revenue bonds plan to repay the investor from revenues generated by the underlying
assets for which the bond proceeds are dedicated (like parking lots and parking fees).
Like a G.O. muni bond, a Revenue bond provides income (yield) that is tax-exempt to
the private investor. The repayment risk can be estimated from the ability of the
underlying asset to generate sufficient income to meet the bond obligations for the
coupon and principal repayment.
Rating agencies and investors can assess and rank these risks, and interest rates on
Revenue bonds are generally higher than those on G.O. bonds, given the potential
added risk of repayment shortfalls by the underlying asset or by not being backed by
the full faith and credit of the municipality.
Advantages:Revenue from the investment will be used to repay the loan. Often used
for financing infrastructure that generates a revenue stream.
Disadvantages: Surplus revenue cannot be shared across other city financing needs.
121
Revenue Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
IRBs are often issued by a municipality to promote economic development in the community, by
providing funds to a private developer, for example, to provide some upgrade to the ‘built
environment’(capital improvements, renewable and energy efficiency upgrades) with the
private firm holding ultimate responsibility to repay the bondholders. The municipality holds the
asset as collateral until the debt is repaid, and generally does not charge property taxes, making
it attractive to the developer. IRBs are generally tax exempt to the investor, meaning the
developer gets access to lower cost financing, but higher than the rate on a G.O. muni bond.
Advantages: A helpful tool to stimulate development
Disadvantages: May affect debt limits or issuance ceilings/caps at cities
Industrial Development Bonds (IDBs)
Industrial Development Bonds (IDBs) are tax-exempt securities issued up to $10 million by a
governmental entity to provide money for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation and
equipping of manufacturing and processing facilities for private companies. IDBs can be issued
by the Infrastructure Bank, local Industrial Development Authorities, or by Joint Powers
Authorities. (http://www.ibank.ca.gov/industrial_dev_bonds.htm)
122
Municipal Industrial Revenue Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Build new waste water and storm water
infrastructure
Climate Action Solution:
•Long term muni revenue bond for water
infrastructure
123
Deal and Terms
•$240 million Wastewater Revenue
Bond will fund eligible projects in
sustainable storm water management
and wastewater projects
•The first certified green water bond to
finance sustainable water
infrastructure
•Green infrastructure is a stormwater
management tool that takes
advantage of the natural processes of
soils and plants in order to slow down
and clean stormwater and keep it from
overwhelming the City's sewer system
•Working to maintain the 100+ year
old, 900 mile long combined sewer
system and 17 pump stations that
collect sewage and storm waterhttp://www.ceres.org/press/press-releases/san-francisco-public-utilities-
commission-issues-world2019s-first-certified-green-bond-for-water-
infrastructure
Municipal Industrial Revenue Bonds
Example: San Francisco PUC –
Wastewater Infrastructure Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Fund infrastructure
Climate Action Solution:
•Infrastructure Bank provides
long-term tax exempt financing
for public benefit projects and
growth
124
Deal and Terms
•DATE ISSUED:12/16/2015
•BORROWER NAME:Capital Corrugated,
Inc.
•COUNTY:Sacramento
•CITY:Sacramento
•BOND CATEGORY:Industrial Development
Bonds
•AMOUNT ISSUED:$3,810,000
•Project financed by the bonds must meet
public-benefit criteria
•Funds can be used for construction and
take-out financing for land, buildings and
equipment
•$3.8 million in tax-exempt bonding to
finance the acquisition and installation of
the new press, which saves energy and
fuel
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2016/03/28/packaging-company-plans-expansion-in-sacramento.html ; http://www.ibank.ca.gov/bondmapandsearch.htm
Industrial Revenue Bond IRB
Example: California Infrastructure Bank
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Fund (sustainable) equipment and
capital facilities projects
Climate Action Solution:
•CCLC provides lease purchase funding
plans for community colleges
125
Deal and Terms
•Offers community college districts a
cost-efficient method of financing
equipment purchases and capital
facilities
–which can fund sustainable
improvements, and electric
vehicles
•LRB/lease purchase financing are two
of the most successful methods
developed in recent years to address
immediate needs for capital
acquisitions while improving the
management of cash flow.
•By reducing interest rates, the tax-
exempt feature of LRB/lease
purchase financing has proven to be
attractive to both borrowers and
investorshttp://www.ccleague.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3352
Lease Revenue Bond
Example: Community College League of California
Financing Sustainable Cities
Pooled bond financing is a tool to help keep borrowing costs low by aggregating
the borrowing needs of several smaller jurisdictions into one larger financing.
The credit rating, enhanced with bond insurance, can be higher than the
individual municipalities in the pool. A debt service reserve fund of 5% also
contributes to the higher credit strength. This tool is often used for smart
infrastructure projects.
Advantages: Can create higher scale and lower costs for borrowing together
among multiple jurisdictions
Disadvantages: Need to be careful to determine the mix of partners and their
debt obligations
126
Pooled Bond Financing
Financing Sustainable Cities
Pooled Bond Financing
Example: Virginia Counties and Municipalities
Climate Action Challenge:
•To help smaller borrowers like small
towns get access to lower cost capital
Climate Action Solution:
•Pooling the resources into a single
offering helped keep the borrowing
costs low for participating
jurisdictions due to the pool bond
program’s triple-A rating
127
Deal and Terms
•The bond program features a common debt
service reserve fund, which is funded from
proceeds from each bond sale and kept at a
level equal to 5% of the principal amounts
on each individual loan.
•The common debt service reserve fund is
meant to enhance the credit strength of the
program so that it is greater than the credit
of individual borrowers.
•Using bond insurance, premiums are
allocated to each borrower based on their
credit strength, so no borrower is
subsidizing any other borrower.
•In 2004, the Virginia Municipal League and
the Virginia Association of Counties jointly
sponsored an issue of $40.5 million in tax-
exempt revenue bonds
https://www.trs.virginia.gov/debt/vpsa_poolbond.aspx;
http://www.virginiaresources.gov;
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
LEASE & LOAN
EXAMPLES (1 of 2)
•Energy efficiency
loans
•Milwaukee WI
•Lease Purchase
Agreement
•Baltimore MD
•Tennessee Valley
Authority
•PACE Loans
•San Francisco CA
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
128
Climate Action with Positive ROI Can Be Attractive
for All Types of Loans & Leases
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
LEASE & LOAN
EXAMPLES (2 of 2)
•On-bill Financing
•NYSERDA
•State-Based Loans
•California FIRST
•National Loans
•FHA
•Utility loans
•PG&E
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
129
Climate Action with Positive ROI Can Be Attractive
for All Types of Loans & Leases
Financing Sustainable Cities
Energy efficiency loans generally come from state or federal funds (sometimes
through an intermediary) to make low interest rate loans to individuals or small
businesses to improve energy efficiency in their homes and workspace through
more efficient HVAC, windows and doors, insulation, etc. Each state’s program
specifics vary.
Borrowers repay the loan, get access to better efficiency and the state gets return of
capital and small income and lower energy use/GHG emissions.
Advantages: Banking partners shift risks from cities; energy upgrades funded at
lower cost
Disadvantages: Few programs have achieved large scale so far
130
Energy Efficiency Loans
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Encourage homeowners to install solar
energy system
Climate Action Solution:
•Up to $2 million in loan-loss reserve as a
credit enhancement to help MKE
homeowners finance solar energy systems
131
Deal and Terms, benefiting from
Credit Enhancement
•Eligible Participants:City of
Milwaukee homeowners of 1 to 3
unit, owner-occupied residences
•Loan Size:Up to $20,000
•Interest Rate:Low-interest, fixed
rate (as low as prime + 1.50%)
•Terms:Up to 15 years to repay.
No penalties for early payment,
no fees, no down payments
•Eligible Projects:Solar electric
systems (up to 6 kW), solar hot
water systems (1-8 panels) or
solar hot air.
•Contributing to lean energy
results:more than 1.5 MW,
exceeding goal of 1 MW, of solar
energy in entire city of MKE
http://www.milwaukeeshines.com;
http://city.milwaukee.gov/MilwaukeeShines#.V2sluLsrLIU;
http://city.milwaukee.gov/MilwaukeeShines/Get-Solar/Solar-Financing.htm#.V2sl-7srLIU;
This is also an
example of group
purchasing
Solar Purchasing and Financing
Example: Milwaukee Shines Loan-Loss Reserve Program
Financing Sustainable Cities
Municipalities can use Lease-Purchasing for investing in property or equipment
that can be leased on annual renewable contracts. This can be beneficial to
access tax credits via the lessor.
Multiple jurisdictions can issue debt as a pool for the projects or assets linked to
a stream of collective lease payments. This can also be structured as “Certificates
of Participation” (COPs)in future lease revenues, and potentially acquire the
assets at a low price at the end of the lease.
Generally, this pooled approach is beneficial for smaller projects to get access to
lower interest rates and longer time frames.
Advantages: Good tool for smaller investments to pool together for scale
Disadvantages: Potential uncertain value of asset at end of lease, but can be
negotiated
132
Lease Purchase Agreements
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Lease more efficient vehicles for fleet to
reduce GHG and manage cash flow
Climate Action Solution:
•Use lease financing to upgrade the city’s
fleet and manage the costs more
efficiently
133
Deal and Terms
•The new lease financing model both
modernizes and reduces the cost of
maintaining the City’s aging fleet
–Older fleets require a much higher
investment in maintenance and
repair costs, and are also
associated with higher fuel costs
due to older, less fuel-efficient
vehicles.
•The purchase of every vehicle in the
fleet is financed over its useful life.
•The transition to a debt financing
model for vehicle purchases allowed
for a onetime appropriation of $30
million from the City’s Mobile
Equipment Fund
•Upgrading the fleet has cut the
expense of maintaining the City’s
vehicle fleet by $1 million per year
•
http://generalservices.baltimorecity.gov/news/newsroom/2016-05-23-
city-saves-millions-while-replacing-fleet-equipment-due-new-financing-
model
Lease Purchase Agreements
Example: Baltimore, Maryland
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Finance cleaner energy
Climate Action Solution:
•Arrange a lease purchase agreement
with the private sector as part of the
financing to build new combined-cycle
energy plant
134
Deal and Terms
•In 2012, The Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) completed a $1 billion lease-
purchase transaction for a natural gas-
fired plant in Rogersville, TN
–The transaction provided financing support
for the development of the plant and
incrementally cleaner energy.
•Financing for the lease purchase
included a $100 million equity
investment and a $900 million bond
issue, both of which were secured by
TVA’s rental payments.
•TVA will lease the plant to John Sevier
Combined Cycle Generation LLC, for
which it will receive $1 billion in
proceeds.
https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/tacir/attachments/2014_TVA_PILOTS.pdf
http://www.knoxnews.com/business/tva-reaches-deal-to-lease-john-sevier-gas-fired-plant-ep-362305061-357262641.html
Lease Purchase Agreements
Example: Tennessee Valley Authority
Financing Sustainable Cities
One of the newer tools to finance clean energy, PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy)
programs allow the property owner (residential or commercial) to finance clean, renewable and
efficient energy (and in some states, water efficiency and seismic retrofit) investments over the
property tax bill.
Municipalities can promote or approve of programs to help property owners improve their
energy footprints with repayment terms that will stay with the property even it changes
ownership.
Commercial building owners can generally pass these green improvements and higher property
tax bills on to their tenants, who are willing to pay more for a more environmentally efficient
and healthier building.
For additional guidance on PACE solutions and setup, go to http://PaceNation.US and
http://BetterBuildingsSolutionCenter.energy.gov
Advantages: Cities help finance energy upgrades over the life of the property, payments spread
over property tax bills
Disadvantages: Education to mortgage holders about the status of the PACE loan in the ranking
of property debt recovery in case of foreclosure is required
135
PACE Financing
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce energy demand;
decrease GHG emissions
Climate Action Solution:
•Long-term financing for property
owners to upgrade/retrofit
buildings
136
Deal and Terms:
•Property owner finances the retrofits
through the property tax bill over 20
years, and the obligation stays with
the property even if transferred/sold
•Example: 644 Broadway, San
Francisco: energy efficiency retrofit
•PACE Financing: $1.8 million, 20
years duration, provided by Clean
Fund
•Projected energy savings: 24%
•Retrofits included HVAC
replacement, LED lighting, building
controls, cool roof envelope
improvements (insulation, high
performance windows), low flow
water fixtureshttps://californiafirst.org/Home-Efficiency-Financing-
welcome/?utm_term=%2Benergy%20%2Befficiency%20%2Bloan&utm
_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16-BayArea-LG-
HE ; www.cleanfund.com’
PACE Financing
Example: Commercial Buildings
Financing Sustainable Cities
On-bill financing is a tool used by utilities, encouraged by cities, to help
residents fund energy improvements through repayment of infrastructure or
equipment improvements on the customers’ utility bills.
Generally, the local utility can identify the upgrade packages and monitor the
implementation, helping consumers reduce overall emissions with easy
repayment options.
Advantages: Straightforward to implement with a utility
Disadvantages: Utility may limit the list of green/energy improvements
allowed for the program
137
On-Bill Financing
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce energy use
Climate Action Solution:
•Utility on-bill financing funds
energy efficiency projects with
local community partners
138
Deal and Terms
•$90 million program to fund
implementation of large-scale, high-profile
projects that support the goals of each
region’s sustainability planning efforts.
•Most of NYSERDA’s funding is from
ratepayers’ System Benefit Charge on their
utility bills, ranging 1-2 mills/KWH
•Grant funding to private developers, local
governments, nonprofit organizations and
other public and private entities.
•Goal:encourage communities to create
public-private partnerships and develop
regional sustainable growth strategies
–in such areas as emissions control, energy
efficiency, renewable energy, low-carbon
transportation, and other carbon reductions.
http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-
Programs/Programs/Cleaner-Greener-
Communities
This is also
an example
of a Public
Benefit Fund
On Bill Financing
Example: New York State Energy Research
& Development Authority
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Encourage residential energy
efficiency upgrades
Climate Action Solution:
•Zero or low interest rate loans for
homeowners from combo of
federal, state and utility programs
139
Deal and Terms
•Federal: FHA’s Energy Efficient
Mortgage Loan program for
homeowners enables adding
energy-efficient improvements
•State: CaliforniaFIRST is PACE
financing up to 25 years, and tied
to the property value and paid
through the property tax.
•Utility: PG&E offers incentives to
homeowners who complete
comprehensive energy-saving
home improvements
https://californiafirst.org/Home-Efficiency-Financing-welcome/?utm_term=%2Benergy%20%2Befficiency%20%2Blo
www.fha.com/energy_efficient; www.pge.com/en/about/environment/pge/energyefficiency/index.page;
an&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16-BayArea-LG-HE
Residential Energy-Efficiency Financing
Examples of 3 Types: FHA, California First and PG&E
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Investor Financing
Muni Bonds from
City
Bonds: Special
Entities
Bank loans & lines
of credit
Leases or loans
from Finl Firms
Utility loans and
incentives
CDFI loans
Social Impact
Bonds
More EXAMPLES
•Infrastructure Bank
Financing
•San Bernardino CA
•Revolving Loan Funds
•CLEEN
•Social Impact Bonds
•Philadelphia PA
•Catastrophe Bond
Issuance
•Loan Loss Reserve Funds
•Kansas City
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
140
Climate Action Solutions & Risks Can Be Financed
by Innovative Investor Mechanisms
Financing Sustainable Cities
Infrastructure and Economic Development Banks finance public infrastructure and
economic development that promote a healthy climate for jobs, contribute to a strong
economy and improve the quality of life within their state.
The I-Bank has broad authority to issue tax-exempt and taxable revenue bonds, provide
financing to public agencies, provide credit enhancements, acquire or lease facilities, and
leverage State and Federal funds.
I-Bank's programs can include an Infrastructure State Revolving Fund (ISRF) Loan
Program,Statewide Energy Efficiency Program (SWEEP),501(c)(3) Revenue Bond
Program,Industrial Development Revenue Bond Program,Exempt Facility Revenue Bond
Program,Governmental Bond Program and the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program.
Advantages: Existing programs allow for accessing low cost financing
Disadvantages: Complexity and legislation required to for implementation; not every state
has active Infrastructure Banks
141
Infrastructure & Economic
Development Bank (I-Bank)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve water infrastructure, save
energy
Climate Action Solution:
•Borrow at low rates from state
infrastructure bank
142
Deal and Terms
•City of San Bernardino Municipal
Water District approved to
borrow $10 million loan from the
California I-Bank’s Revolving
Loan fund
–20 years, 2.61%
•For the Ogden Reservoir System
Wide Pipeline Replacement
Project
–One Co-generation project has
two clean-burning 750 KW
generators fueled by methane
gas generated from bio-solids
produced at the Water
Reclamation Plant and saves
$1,000 per day in energy costs.http://www.ibank.ca.gov/res/docs/2012%20Meetings/8c_San%20Berna
rdino_MWD_Loan_Mod_SR.pdf
Long Term Water Infrastructure
Example: San Bernardino CA & California I-Bank
Financing Sustainable Cities
Revolving Loan Fund
A revolving loan fund (RLF) is a gap financing measure primarily used for
development and expansion of small businesses.
An RLF is a self-replenishing pool of money, utilizing interest and principal payments
on old loans to fund new loans.
Infrastructure Banks often use RLFs to stimulate development in municipal regions.
RLFs can be grant funded or funded by long term loans.
Advantages: Capital is replenished by repayment of principal and interest
Disadvantages: Generally below market interest requires long term commitment of
funds
143
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Fund energy efficiency projects
Climate Action Solution:
•Low interest rate loans from the
California Infrastructure Bank for energy
efficiency projects
144
Deal and Terms
•The Statewide Energy Efficiency Program
(SWEEP) is a CLEEN Center Program for
small, medium and large-scale energy
efficiency upgrades and projects (Energy
Efficiency Projects) for California’s
Municipalities, Universities, Schools and
Hospitals (MUSH) borrowers.
•LED Street Lighting Program is a CLEEN
Center program.
•Objectives:
–Provide low-cost financing vehicles,
which reduce the cost of clean energy
and energy efficiency projects.
–Leverage existing public programs and
funds to attract private sector
investment.
–Encourage private investment by
reducing the overall risk of clean
energy projects.
•http://www.ibank.ca.gov/res/docs/CLEEN%20Center/Criteria,%20Priorites,%20and%20Guidelines%20for%20the%20Selection%20of%20Projects-CLEEN%20....pdf
California Infrastructure Bank
Revolving Loan Fund (e.g. CLEEN)
Example: California Lending for Energy and Environmental Needs
Financing Sustainable Cities
A new instrument to the investment field, Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) and its counterparts
Pay for Success (PFS) and Pay For Performance (PFP) seek to use private capital to address
a current problem and repay that capital from the future benefits (savings) of that
program.
Identifying the metrics and outcomes that will provide the measures of success and
therefore repayment make SIBs difficult to structure. The SIB repayment is dependent on
the outcomes (social or environmental) that are agreed upon at the onset between the
borrower and the investor, with some outside independent verification and measurement
transparency and feedback loop built into the agreement.
Another approach to creating socially or environmentally attractive programs is to align as
partners where the municipality can share the future savings with the program provider:
improve reclamation of recyclables from the solid waste stream and re-selling that to the
open market, sharing the proceeds and reducing waste streams.
Advantages: Opens the door for innovative forms of financing and responsibility
Disadvantages: Very early stage of development and few track records of success
145
Social Impact Bonds (SIBs)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Shift program and outcome risks to the
private sector
Climate Action Solution:
•Finance programs but defer payment for
improvements in social or environmental
outcomes until they are successful
146
Deal and Terms
•SIB payment is contingent on the social
and environmental outcomes agreed
upon by the investor and the issuer.
•Private investors assume the risk for
improvements to outcomes.
•If the goals are achieved, the private
investor reaps the payoff of the bonds.
If goals are not achieved, the investors
lose their investment in the bonds.
•The City of Philadelphia, for example, is
revamping its system of measuring (and
taxing) storm-water runoff, which has
been shown to adversely impact the
city's water quality. The city could adapt
this metric for use in an EIB that focuses
on improving local water quality.
http://ssir.org/articles/entry/bringing_social_impact_bonds_to_the_environment
Social Impact Bonds/
Environmental Impact Bonds
Example: Potential Philadelphia EIB for Storm-water Runoff
Financing Sustainable Cities
As a securitized hedge to future environmental disasters, some large scale developers
and utilities may seek additional insurance for their large infrastructure or renewable
energy projects and could turn to catastrophe bonds instead of re-insurers to offset
that increased risk.
Catastrophe bonds are issued by the insurer to spread the risk.In the event of a
catastrophe, the insurer will use the bond proceeds to pay the claims not covered by
the premiums of those insured and the investors won’t be repaid. If no catastrophe
happens, the bondholders should be paid at maturity.
Pension plans globally are taking an interest in purchasing these bonds because they
are uncorrelated to the broad financial markets and can offer returns ranging from
2% to 15%, or even higher if the catastrophe does not occur.
Advantages: Reduced risk to insurance companies and local municipalities at risk for
catastrophes
Disadvantages: Can be expensive
147
Catastrophe Bonds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Share risks associated with
geographically focused projects and
local disasters
Climate Action Solution:
•Arrange for additional insurance to
protect city infrastructure
148
Deal and Terms
•Insurers issued catastrophe bonds to
private investors willing to assume
the risk of losing their investment for
the opportunity to earn substantial
interest.
•May be a consideration for
developers of utility-scale projects to
address large risk concentrations
while implementing smart grids and
other infrastructure improvements
•Helps manage the financial risk from
catastrophes and promote
investment in resilient infrastructure
projects that mitigate physical risks
http://inthesetimes.com/article/18561/cat-bonds-cashing-in-on-climate-catastrophe
http://www.artemis.bm/blog/2016/01/05/ils-could-help-with-floridas-costly-rising-sea-levels-floods-and-surges/
Catastrophe Bonds
Example: Potential Pension Plan Investment Tool
Financing Sustainable Cities
Loan Loss Reserve Fund: LRFs can be set up to decrease the risk associated with making some kinds of
energy efficiency and retrofit loans to underbanked (higher risk) borrowers to upgrade their homes
with repayment commitments up to 30 years. The Federal Loan Loss Reserve Fund LRF was established
in 2009 under the Dodd Frank banking bill to encourage small dollar loan programs. These programs
can reduce the interest rates for unsecured lending to commercial real estate owners, sometimes
repaying via utility bills.
Debt Service Reserve:Similar to a loan loss reserve fund, municipalities can create a debt service
reserve fund from cash reserves (from the issuance) to provide additional security to the bonds’ risk
profile and reduce the bonds’ coupon rate. These reserve funds can be used for the Clean Renewable
Energy Bonds CREBs or the QECBs, and costs of issuance.
Loan Guarantee: By guaranteeing the repayment of a loan to a private investor, the government is
virtually eliminating the default risk of that loan. The Department of Energy has awarded billions in
loan guarantees for clean energy projects, but still needs oversight. This self-insures a potential default.
Advantages: Reduced risk and lower interest rates to borrowers; sets floor for risk for investors.
Disadvantages: Could become very expensive in the case of a default
149
Loan Loss Reserve Fund (LRF), Debt
Service Reserves & Loan Guarantees
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Finance streetcars to reduce
congestion, GHG emissions
Climate Action Solution:
•Create loan loss reserves to help
get better bond ratings and
lower the costs of capital.
150
Deal and Terms
•Of $71.5 million authorized from the
issuance of $124 million of special
obligation bonds, $62.9 million of
special obligation bonds are for
construction with the remaining $8.6
million, if needed, toward the cost of
issuance and as a reserve fund for debt
services. Self-insures a default.
•Kansas City’s Water Services
Department will contribute $14 million
to help pay for water utility relocation
under the streetcar route. Federal
grants including Kansas City’s $20
million Transportation Investment
Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)
grant will total $37.1 million.
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2014/02/28/k
c-council-signs-off-on-124m-bonds.html
Loan Loss Reserves
Example: Kansas City Streetcars
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
151
Donors Who Focus on Climate Action
Can Grant Funds to GHG-Reduction Initiatives
Financing Sustainable Cities
Funders Donor Grants
MultiLateral
Federal
State or Province
Community
Foundation
Corporate
Foundation
Institutional
Foundation
Families & their
Foundations
Donor EXAMPLES
•IFC, WorldBank
•CleanCities.Energy.Gov
•Toolkit.Climate.Gov
•DSIRE.org; eCivis.com;
Grants.gov
•Wells Fargo
Foundation’s Clean
Tech Grants
•Clean Energy Group’s
Solar + Storage
•Donor-funded
competitions
•Donor-funded
“accelerators”
The next pages explain the concept, and show an example;
you can click the links to jump to the examples
152
Investors Seeking
Tax Deductions, and
Donors Seeking
Impact Provide
GRANTS
Financing Sustainable Cities
Many cities already recognize the opportunity in applying for grant funding when
developing sustainability plans. Many grants currently come from governmental
organizations –energy commissions, state pools of pilot funding grant programs, etc.
Cities can also consider and apply for grants from for many sustainability projects.
Green affordable housing projects can attract grant monies from a variety of donors.
By developing relationships with mission-aligned organizations who seek to promote
sustainability,community engagement can improve access to funding for innovative
programs.
Advantages: Funding at low to no cost; very helpful for pilot programs; could move
quickly with individual or family donors; institutional foundations may take time;
aligned with societal mission.
Disadvantages: Funds might be short term or pilot program; may require developing
relationships with the foundation; need to be aware of political risks and real or
perceived conflicts of interest (e.g. political donors giving grants).
Donors Grants
153
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce the price of solar energy and
increase usage
Climate Action Solution:
•Encourage innovation and partnerships
with funding opportunities for solar
154
Deal and Terms
•SunShot Initiative goals:
–reduce the total installed cost of solar
energy systems to $.06 per kilowatt-
hour (kWh) by 2020
–grow solar-generated power from less
than 2% of the nation’s electricity
generation portfolio to roughly 14% by
2030 and 27% by 2050
•Since 2011, the average price per kWh of
a utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) project
has dropped from about $0.21 to $0.11.
•SunShot supports collaborative
partnerships and innovative efforts by
private companies, universities, and
national laboratories to drive down the
cost of solar electricity reducing solar
technology costs,reducing grid integration
costs, and accelerating solar deployment
nationwide.
http://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/about-sunshot-initiative
US Department of Energy
Example: SunShot Initiative
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Encourage commercial property
owners to improve energy
efficiency in buildings
Climate Action Solution:
•Up to $2 million in incentives to
offset costs to improve energy
efficiency in commercial buildings
155
Deal and Terms
•Funds from US Dept of Energy’s
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Block Grant
•In Houston EEIP, commercial office
buildings’ owners may apply for
funding to make permanent energy
efficiency improvements to reduce
utility expenses and greenhouse
gases.
•The City incentives offset some up-
front implementation costs (labor
and materials), with incentives of up
to $500,000 per building
•Smaller projects: At least 60% of the
total grant incentive awards will be
set aside for projects under
$500,000.
http://eeip.harc.edu
Energy Efficiency Grants
Example: Houston Energy Efficiency Incentive Program
Financing Sustainable Cities
Top State Programs # of Listings
•California 208
•Colorado 101
•New York 92
•Wisconsin 62
•Arizona 58
•Michigan 48
•Idaho 31
Source: DSIRE.org; CleanCities.Energy.Gov
Research your state
and apply –and
evaluate for
potential
collaborative
partnerships with
your city
156
DSIREusa.org is an online catalog of
Grants and Incentives by State
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce energy & develop
reliable renewable energy
sources for redeveloped area
Climate Action Solution:
•Deploy MicroGrids for
environmental and economic
benefits in low-income areas
157
Deal and Terms
•EXAMPLE: Wells Fargo Foundation, via
CleanTechnology and Innovation Grant, has
committed $100 million by 2020 to eco-focused
non-profits, colleges and universities
–$150,000 grant to Clean Coalition to
develop MicroGrid in low income area of
San Francisco, Hunter’s Point
•Once deployed, the Hunters Point Community
Microgrid will:
–generate 50 MW from solar
–serve about 20,000 residential and
commercial utility customers
–contribute $233 million to the regional
economy, $100 million in local wages in the
neighborhood
–avoid $80 million in transmission-related
costs over 20 years
–reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by
1.5 billion pounds over 20 years
–save 15 million gallons of water annually.
http://microgridknowledge.com/make-many-community-microgrids-hunters-point-model;
http://www.clean-coalition.org/our-work/community-microgrids/hunters-point-community-microgrid-project
http://www.clean-coalition.org/press-releases/hunters-point-community-microgrid-project-which-will-create-jobs-and-provide-25-percent-of-communitys-electric-energy-needs-gets-a-150000-boost/
CleanTech Innovation Grants From Corporate Foundations
Financing Sustainable Cities
Solar+Storage in Affordable Housing
Example: Clean Energy Group’s Resilient Power Project
Climate Action Challenge:
•Develop reliable renewable
energy sources for low income
communities
Climate Action Solution:
•Develop solar + storage projects
for low & moderate income (LMI)
areas
158
Deal and Terms
•Clean Energy Group (CEG) and its
Resilient Power Project supports
the deployment of solar + storage
–to low-income communities,
–multifamily affordable housing
and
–community facilities projects
•Grant funding supports 3rd party
technical services to determine
the technical and economic
feasibility of the projects.
•Solar + Storage can provide
additional positive economic
return on par with energy
efficiency or stand-alone solar
http://www.cleanegroup.org/ceg-projects/resilient-power-project/
Financing Sustainable Cities
Retrofit Accelerator
Example: New York City, NY
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve building energy and
water efficiency
Climate Action Solution:
•Provides advisory services to
privately owned buildings going
green
159
Deal and Terms
•This program is a one-stop resource
for free technical assistance and
advisory services for building owners
for critical energy efficiency, water
conservation, and clean energy
upgrades.
•GOAL: Reduce citywide greenhouse gas
emissions (GHGs)by roughly 1 million
metric tons per year by 2025
•Accelerates retrofits in up to 1,000
properties per year by 2025 (the
equivalent of almost 200,000 passenger
vehicles taken off the roads)
•Saves New Yorkers an estimated $350
million a year in utility costs
http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/651-15/mayor-de-blasio-launches-retrofit-accelerator-providing-key-support-buildings-go-green-
as; http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/5303/nyc-retrofit-accelerator; http://www.guardian-service.com/mayor-de-blasio-builds-on-nyc-
clean-heat-success-launches-ambitious-building-efficiency-program
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve energy efficiency and reduce
GHG emissions from buildings
Climate Action Solution:
•Corporate sponsored community
competition encourages energy
efficiency by building owners and
tenants
160
Deal and Terms
•The City of Houston's Sustainability
Challenge is designed to help
businesses and buildings reduce
energy, water, and waste through
friendly competition for funding.
•The challenge provides resources to
improve the energy efficiency of
buildings and office spaces through
educational programs, technical
assistance, measurement and
certification, and recognition.
•Made possible by financial support
from local corporate sponsors: Shell,
International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI USA);
Office Depot; and Green PSF
http://www.greenpsf.com/go/community/index/houston/?q=node/47
Community Competition for Buildings
Example: Green Office Challenge, Houston, TX
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Seek innovative energy efficiency
solutions
Climate Action Solution
•The competition fosters pilot
opportunities with smart cities and
smart grid industry partners
161
Deal and Terms
•The 2016 Urban Future Competition is a
new Smart Cities and Smart Grid business
competition in New York.
•Startups with transformative business
solutions for global urban energy and
sustainability challenges will compete to
pitch their solutions to a jury of investors
•Market partners and successful
entrepreneurs to win two $25,000
awards, one for each category:Smart
Cities and Smart Grid.
•Winners will also join as members of
the ACRE incubator: NYC's premier
cleantech incubator, funded by NYSERDA,
NYU Tandon and corporate partners.
http://ufl.nyc/competition
Competition for Smart Grid Ventures
Example: New York City, NY
Financing Sustainable Cities
City Budget
Taxes
User Fees
Funders
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partners Cross-Sector Partnerships
162
Partners From the Business and Social Sectors
Can Team with Cities for Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Creative Use of PARTNERSHIPS
Can Unlock New Funding & Resources
Partners Cross Sector
Partnerships
Public Private
Partnerships
With
Employers
With
Communities
With Stakeholders
Corporate &
financial firms
Group purchasing
Power purchasing
Performance
Contracts
163
Financing Sustainable Cities
Public-private partnerships (PPPs, or P3s) are agreements between the public sector and
the private sector for the delivery of services to the public.
These partnerships bring together the needs of the city with the private market’s expertise
and discipline to achieve a common goal, but can be complicated to develop.
Large scale infrastructure developments can be kept on budget and on schedule with
proper alignment of goals and oversight. Cities and their private partners can work
together to develop broad based community infrastructure that is highly dependent on
private capital.
The entire process can include the full life cycle costs of major infrastructure
improvements with the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM) model for
better long term metrics, rather than the shorter term lowest-bid process for cities.
Advantages: Can open up new opportunities for infrastructure expansion
Disadvantages: Can be complicated to set up and monitor; potential culture clashes.
164
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs or P3)
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Water Reclamation Partnership
Apple Inc. + City of Sunnyvale CA
•Multi-Sector Partnership
Mountain View CA + Google +
CalStart + ABC + Motiv Power
•Multi-Company Financing for
New York City
Customer Revenue + Equity +
Sponsorships + Credit Facility
•Public Private Partnerships
City of London and the Boiler
Cashback Scheme
•Community Choice Aggregation
Marin Clean Energy
•Group Purchasing
Brooklyn Community MicroGrid
•Power Purchase Agreements
Ameresco + Rappahannock (VA)
Regional Landfill
•Performance Contract
Ithaca NY:
Wastewater/Biodigester
•Creative Financing via Private
Ownership
St. John’s Episcopal Church,
Boulder, CO
You can click the links to jump to the examples
165
Examples of Cross-Sector Partnerships:
Results from Joint Creative Approaches
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Secure water delivery for increased
demand (via recycled water)
Climate Action Solution:
•Partner with local employers for
capital and create reliable access to
water supply
166
Deal & Terms:
•New water pipeline, and booster
pump linked to water treatment
station –and avoids demands on
fresh water supply of Cupertino.
•Total project capital: including
planning, design and construction =
$17.5 million
•Capital-contributions:
–Apple Inc. = $4.8 million
–Cal-Water = $1.5 million
–City of Sunnyvale: $2.1 million
–California Department of Water
Resources: $2.5 mm grant
–Santa Clara Valley Water District:
$6.6 million.
•Apple has a 10 year guarantee for
recycled/reclaimed water to irrigate
its campus, and run the buildings
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27778101/water-district-board-
consider-recycled-water-apple-campus
Water Reclamation Partnership
Example: Apple Inc. + City of Sunnyvale CA
Financing Sustainable Cities
Multi-Sector Partnership
Example: City + Google + CalStart + ABC Cos.
+ Motiv Power Systems
Climate Action Challenge:
•Improve local transit and
congestion with renewable fuel
sources
Climate Action Solution:
•Implement a free, downtown
electric shuttle service
167
Deal and Terms
•City of Mountain View partners with:
–Google Inc., to fund 2-year pilot of Electric
Vehicle shuttle buses
–CALSTART.org,a membership of 150 companies,
administers the program,
–Funded by grants from the California Energy
Commission (CEC)for the EV drive trains and
batteries
–Designed by Motiv Power Systems
–ABC Companies operates the buses as a supplier
to the city
•4 all-electric, 16-seat blue-and-white shuttle
vehicles, all equipped with:
–a wheelchair lift,
–space for two wheelchairs,
–two exterior bicycle racks,
–free Wi-Fi onboard
•95% on-time rate; Monthly ridership has
increased from 6,500 to 11,000+ per month
http://planetsave.com/2015/02/05/google-launches-free-ev-shuttles-mountain-view-ca/
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce GHG of transportation
with local bike options
Climate Action Solution:
•Implement a city-wide bike
sharing program
168
Deal and Terms
•Citi Bike: nation's largest bike share
program; 8,000 bikes, 500 stations across
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Jersey
City.
•Apr. 2013: 5,000 Citi Bike founding
memberships sell out in 30 hours
•Oct. 2014: New owner pledges more
private capital ($30mm) to improve the
program with increased sponsorship from
Citi ($70mm) and an increase in the credit
facility from the Goldman Sachs Urban
Investment Group ($15mm)to allow for
expansion.
•May 2016:Citi Bike gains its 100,000th
annual member ($155 per year), with
discounts for Housing Authority residents
http://www.citigroup.com/citi/news/2014/141028b.htm
Multi-Source Financing for NYC
Example: Customer Revenue + Equity
+ Sponsorships + Credit Facility
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce GHG emissions from older,
inefficient boilers
Climate Action Solution:
•Incentivize property owners to replace
old boilers with more efficient models
169
Deal and Terms
•City govt. offers £400 (US$520)
cashback to private landlords
and homeowners for installing a
modern, high efficiency gas boiler
in their home or property
•Upgrading to a new, high efficient
gas boiler reduces annual energy
bills by £340 (US$440) for
participating households
–20% less heating required
•Corporations like e.on and British
Gas followed on with offerings of
rebates to stimulate purchases.
•City program successfully
exhausted all 125,000 vouchers
https://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/housing-and-land/improving-quality/london-boiler-cashback-scheme
Public Private Partnerships
Example: City of London and the Boiler Cashback Scheme
Financing Sustainable Cities
Evaluate Your Local
Employers for
Partnerships:
Who are Your
Largest Employers?
What Creative
Partnerships Can
Your City Create?
Companies w/500+ employees,
based in Palo Alto, California:
•City of Palo Alto
•CPI
•Google
•Hewlett Packard
•Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
•Nordstrom
•Palantir
•SAP
•Silicon Valley Bank
•Stanford
•SSL
•Tesla
•Varian Medical
•VM Ware
170
Financing Sustainable Cities
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a type of group purchasing, organized
by the local governmental authority to combine the demand of all of its
members of the community for better purchasing power, generally with the local
electric/gas monopoly utility, and usually with a particular focus on purchases of
energy from renewable power sources.
CCA enables local communities to aggregate electricity demand within their
jurisdictions in order to procure alternative energy supplies while maintaining
the existing electricity provider for transmission and distribution services
So far, seven states have approved the legislation for CCAs: California, Illinois,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, New York and Rhode Island.
More detail available at:
http://www.energy.ca.gov/2006publications/CEC-500-2006-082/CEC-500-2006-082.PDF
Advantages: Increased bargaining power and access to renewable energy
Disadvantages: Requires legislative action and negotiation with utilities
171
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reducing GHG emissions through
renewable energy
Climate Action Solution:
•The CCA aggregates buying power
for renewable energy sources across
nearby cities
172
Deal and Terms
•MCE is a public agency and not-for-
profit electricity provider that gives
customers the choice of having 50%
to 100% of their electricity supplied
from clean, renewable sources such
as solar, wind, bioenergy, and
hydroelectric at competitive rates.
•Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
by roughly 1 million metric tons per
year by 2025
•PG&E will continue to deliver energy
through their standard power lines,
and repair and maintenance teams in
area still provide the same service.
https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/
Community Choice Aggregation
Marin Clean Energy
Financing Sustainable Cities
Group purchasing by city procurement groups of climate-action solutions,
including renewable energy, allows individuals, businesses, and municipalities to
reduce the cost of installation and acquisition, sometimes dramatically, by
leveraging collective purchasing power.
As an example, pooling together collective energy demand enables a number of
entities or individuals to secure discounted pricing by buying in bulk.
By integrating the group purchasing scheme with other emerging solar financing
mechanisms, such as solar leases or PACE, group buyers can often install solar at
no or little up-front cost.
Advantages: Cheaper prices when purchased in bulk
Disadvantages: Requires alignment, communication and cooperation among
cities in product purchasing
173
Group Purchasing
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Develop more renewable energy for
the community
Climate Action Solution:
•Create a Community Microgrid to
develop, share and purchase
community based renewable energy
174
Deal and Terms
•Brooklyn Microgrid is currently
developing a community micro grid
to be:
–independent of the utility,
–use renewable resources,
–retain power in extreme weather
and other events and
–keep money in the local
economy.
•Greater choice for consumers;
residents buy and sell energy over a
peer-to-peer network
•Helps individuals become local
energy providers by selling their
excess rooftop solar electricity
production to other local residents or
businesses.http://brooklynmicrogrid.com; http://www.seeker.com/neighbors-got-solar-panels-
buy-power-from-them-1770997070.html#news.discovery.com
Group Purchasing
Brooklyn Community MicroGrid
Financing Sustainable Cities
A power purchase agreement (PPA) is a contract between two parties, one which
generates electricity (the seller) and one which is looking to purchase electricity (the
buyer). The city could be the buyer of power, or it could be the seller of power (as you will
see in the example of energy from landfill gases, an untapped resource).
The PPA defines all of the commercial terms for the sale of electricity between the two
parties, including when the project will begin commercial operation, schedule for delivery
of electricity, penalties for under delivery, payment terms, and termination. A PPA is the
principal agreement that defines the revenue and credit quality of a generating project
and is thus a key instrument of project finance.
With a PPA, a developer (or a city partnered with a developer) installs a renewable energy
system on agency property under an agreement that the agency will purchase the power
generated by the system. The agency pays for the system through these power payments
over the life of the contract. After installation, the developer owns, operates, and
maintains the system for the life of the contract.
Advantages:No/Low upfront costs, steady energy prices & cheaper renewable energy
Disadvantages: Most of the risks, and thus the rewards, are held by the energy producer
175
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Power Purchase Agreements (City as Producer)
Example: Ameresco + Rappahannock (VA) Regional Landfill
Climate Action Challenge:
•Capture the value of the methane
gas at the landfill
Climate Action Solution:
•Develop a partnership to capture
and sell the methane gas captured
from the landfill
176
Deal and Terms
•The Rappahannock Regional Solid
Waste Management Board (R-
Board) in Virginia partnered with
Ameresco to develop a 20-year
power purchase agreement that
converts landfill gas to energy.
•Two generators built at the landfill
capture methane gas and convert it
to electricity, generating 2.14
megawatts of energy, enough to
power 1,500 homes.
•Over the term of the contract, the
region’s R-Board will receive an
estimated $1.6 million for selling
power from the facility to
Constellation New Energy.
http://www.ameresco.com/solution/power-purchase-agreements
http://energy.gov/eere/femp/federal-site-renewable-power-purchase-agreements
Financing Sustainable Cities
Pay for Success (PFS) financing can help a city get improvements made with little or no up-
front costs. Usually a provider outside of government will execute a service, like an energy
upgrade, and be compensated over time through the energy savings of that upgrade.
Each PFS contract will have the performance expectations well defined outcome described
as well as the risks associated with it. These PFS contracts could be more costly over time
than traditional municipal financing but generally does not add to a city’s indebtedness.
The public authority is often the source of payment if agreed upon outcomes are achieved.
Repayment may come from future savings that result from the implemented
program/intervention. PFS contracts allow for flexibility on outcome metrics.
Advantages: Public needs can be addressed with private capital, no public funds at risk
Disadvantages: Can be expensive to create and monitor; cost savings are shared with
partner/expert.
177
Performance Contracts:
Pay For Success (PFS) or Pay For Performance (PFP)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Climate Action Challenge:
•Reduce GHG emissions, improve the
energy efficiency and the reliability of
mechanical and electrical systems.
Climate Action Solution:
•Negotiate and implement energy
performance contract
178
Deal and Terms
•Enhance capacity to produce energy
and heat from the conversion of high-
strength organic wastes generated at
the facility
–Included co-generation system,
building efficiency upgrades,
biodigester
•Positive return on investment (ROI):
–Total project costs are estimated at
about $8 million
–Savings generated: nearly $9.8
million over the next 20 years
•Reducing approximately 997 tons of
eCO2
•Partnered with Johnson Controls and
its corporate expertise for an energy
performance contract
http://www.cityofithaca.org/428/Sustainability-Projects-at-IAWWTP
Pay for Performance Contract
Example: Ithaca NY: Wastewater/Biodigester
Financing Sustainable Cities
In reality, many projects are financed using a combination of tools.
The term, or life of the asset, is a key factor in financing the various components
of an infrastructure project and flexibility and creativity can be helpful.
For example, libraries can be expected to last many decades and should be
financed with long term structures (muni bonds repaid by community taxes), but
the solar panels have a shorter life and could be financed separately under a
different tool (short term loan or lease-purchase).
The combination of the financing tools represent the entire package for the
library or parking lot, with grants, tax credits, revenue bonds, lease purchase for
solar and EV parking, biking and green infrastructure grants, etc.
Advantages: Can receive benefits from certain approaches while minimizing the
risks from others
Disadvantages: Complexity can make this prohibitive to traditional financiers
Combining Financing Options
179
Financing Sustainable Cities
Combining Financing Options
Example: Boulder, Colorado
Climate Action Challenge:
•Develop and fund solar
energy for non-profits
Climate Action Solution:
•Establish private for-profit LLC
to capture tax credits, then
sell power to non-profits
180
Deal and Terms
•St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder
created its own Limited Liability Company
(LLC)funded by 11 parishioners
•LLC is the purchaser and owner of the solar
array, and as a for-profit organization, can
use of the Federal tax credit, and then sells
clean power to the non-profit church each
month
•The LLC purchased 77 high efficiency
panels to generate 25KW, about 40% of the
church’s annual electric needs
•The non-profit church will save ~$100 per
month on energy --and can purchase the
solar array at a much reduced price after
the tax credits expire in 6 years
•Potential to apply this 3rd party structure to
cities outsourcing or selling off
infrastructure which is then financed by
private investors.
http://www.stjohnsboulder.org/index.php/parish-life/links/35-
uncategorised/189-solar
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
181
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
•FINANCIAL metrics, especially for investors
–Return on Investment, ROI (%)
–Payback (years)
–Net Present Value, or NPV ($)
–Internal Rate of Return, IRR (%)
•ENVIRONMENTAL metrics, for climate solutions
–GHGs as comprehensive measure (tons)
–Impact from “externalities” (polluted water, air, land)
–Social cost of carbon pollution, including impact on health ($/ton)
•CITIZEN engagement, essential for support
–Understand citizen-reported top priorities and build links to them
Click the link to jump to that example
182
Three Categories of Key Metrics Are
Important for Financing Sustainable Cities
Financing Sustainable Cities
•FINANCIAL metrics, especially for investors
–Return on Investment (%)
•Higher is better; any ROI in double-digits is compelling
–Payback (years)
•Shorter is better; any Payback less than 2 years is attractive
–Net Present Value, or NPV ($)
•Positive is better; any NPV greater than zero is a positive for investors
–Internal Rate of Return, IRR (%)
•Higher is better, any IRR in double-digits is compelling
183
Compelling Financials Ratios
Attract Investors
Financing Sustainable Cities 184
Return on Investment (ROI) = The
Percentage (%) of the Net Gain Divided by
the Comprehensive Cost (Higher is Better)
Financing Sustainable Cities
http://blog.alinean.com/2010/08/payback-period-defined.html
185
Payback = The Time, in Years, to Recover Your
Initial Investment (Shorter is Better)
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Net Present Value (NPV) is the result of:
–Estimating the future inflows ($2500 x 5 years)
and outflows ($10k up front)
–Discounting those future cash flows by a discount rate (%), as an estimate of
financing costs and risks
–Calculating the net results: if positive, then the project is a Go.
https://brainmass.com/business/net-present-value
186
Net Present Value, in $, Is Today’s Value of
Future Cash Flows (Higher is Better)
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the rate at which Net Present
Value (NPV) is zero
–If higher than the cost of capital, then it should be a positive project
financially
–However, IRR is not appropriate to compare when cash flows are both
negative and positive in future years
http://slideplayer.com/slide/4582571
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?q=The+Net+Internal+Rate+Of+Return+Net+IRR+Definition+ /
187
Internal Rate of Return, in %, Is Rate at Which
Net Present Value is Zero (Higher is Better)
Financing Sustainable Cities
City of Palo Alto Staff Report 1/25/2016: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/50693
188
Calculating GHG Emissions Over Time Shows
How A Community Is Progressing
Financing Sustainable Cities
City of Palo Alto Staff Report 1/25/2016: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/50693
189
Forecasting Reductions of GHGs Shows Largest Potential
Improvements
Financing Sustainable Cities
Source: U.S. EPA, https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/EPAactivities/economics/scc.html
190
Social Cost of Carbon Has an Estimated Value
Specified by the U.S. EPA
Financing Sustainable Cities 19
1
Combining GHG and ROI In One View Focuses
Attention on the Most Important Initiatives
City of Palo Alto Staff Report 1/25/2016: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/50693
GHG Reductions
with Positive ROI
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investor
Ready
Reduce
GHGs
Positive
ROI
192
When Climate Action Reduces GHGs with Positive
ROI, those City Initiatives Are Investor-Ready
Financing Sustainable Cities
•In many communities, citizens are more concerned with jobs, poverty,
and health, than with climate action
–Climate action is ranked last in some surveys!
•Health agencies have linked climate inaction to health risks
–Thus, appeal to the health benefits to citizens as a primary message
as well
•When your climate-action solutions can connect to high-priority
everyday issues, focus on communicating those more explicitly
–Possibly shifting the communicated benefits to those higher citizen-
reported priorities, with climate solutions as an added bonus
–Consider neutral language like “natural resource efficiency” or
“cost savings from reduced usage of energy and water”
193
Being Investor-Ready in Cities
Also Requires Being Citizen-Ready
Financing Sustainable Cities 194
Citizens Are More Concerned About Jobs & Poverty
Overall Than Climate Change and Solutions
Financing Sustainable Cities
Source: CDCP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
195
You Can Raise Awareness of Climate
Change by Also Highlighting Health Risks
Financing Sustainable Cities
Source: NASA.gov
196
Using Scientific Visuals from NASA.gov Are Compelling
(Global Temperatures Rising; Climate Action Needed)
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Investor PPTs need to tell your story
visually about the benefits.
•To be successful with investors,
sustainable projects need ROI
calculations.
•When sustainable projects deliver both
GHG reductions and positive ROI, then
investor interest will be higher.
•Work with your finance group to present
Excel grids and graphs in your visual story
of sustainable and financial benefits.
197
Use Excel and PPT: Calculate GHGs Reductions and
ROI in Excel to Strengthen Visual Storytelling in PPT
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
198
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
•An entire global industry has evolved for the prudent
management of these assets, complete with tax policy,
education and certifications, fiduciary duties, and investment
and financial management tools.
•Across the spectrum of financial instruments, we expect to
see a direct correlation between risk and return: the higher
the potential risk, the greater the potential return. Some
investors are naturally conservative and some are more long
term growth oriented.
199
Investors: Seeking to Grow Capital
While Solving Societal Problems
Financing Sustainable Cities
Make Money
by Doing
Good
Solve Eco +
Human
Needs
(Do Good)
Seek Higher
Profits
(Make
Money)
200
Impact-Focused Investors Are Seeking Climate
Action, Especially Where It Can Be Profitable Too
Financing Sustainable Cities
Data source: US SIF Image source: https://www.hedgeable.com/img/investing/whitepapers/impact2.png
201
Investing for Environmental
and Social Benefit is Growing
Financing Sustainable Cities
http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/green-bond-growth.jpg
202
Green Bonds Are Growing, Though Biggest Share
Is from Corporates and Development Banks
Financing Sustainable Cities 20
3
Investing Is Evolving to Explicitly Seek Out
Environmental Solutions & Climate Action
Source: Sonen Capital; http://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org/socent-blog1/2015/6/11/beyond-the-big-players
Financing Sustainable Cities
http://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org/socent-blog1/2015/6/11/beyond-the-big-players
204
Investors Cover All Forms of Financing: Cities Can Fit
with Lower-Risk, Income-Yielding Opportunities
Financing Sustainable Cities
https://www.missioninvestors.org/mission-investing
205
Some Investors Are Willing to
Consider Lower ROI Initiatives If Impact Is Higher
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investors: Seeking to Grow Capital
While Solving Societal Problems
Investors come in all flavors. Each investor type fills a role in the investment
universe –and includes advisors and fund managers, as well as donor advisors.
INVESTORS DONORS
–Family offices -Community Foundations
–Foundations -Charitable Advisors
–Pensions & retirement plans -Donor advised funds
–Investor Networks
–Investment advisors
–Mutual fund managers
–Separate-account managers
–Private debt funds
–Private equity funds
–Big banks
–Community banking
–Sustainable banking
–New platforms for muni bonds
206
Financing Sustainable Cities
Family Offices
Rockefeller & Co.
Capricorn
Foundations
Kresge Foundation
Sierra Club
Wallace Global Fund
Pensions
CalPERS
CalSTRS
NY State Pension Fund
207
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Family Offices
•Family offices are built to manage the accumulated wealth of rich families
(typically billionaires and hundred-millionaires) and will likely have
–Long term goals that may be aligned with a mission that directs its grants and/or
investments.
–May invest across the broad spectrum of low risk-to-high risk instruments, and in some
cases will have a need for both taxable and tax-exempt instruments.
–Are highly sophisticated and should be treated as investment professionals with strict
investment guidelines.
EXAMPLES: FAMILY OFFICES INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Rockefeller & Co.: http://www.rockco.com Rockefeller family
–John D. Rockefeller established a family office in 1882 to manage his growing
investment needs and the future needs of his family. Today, Rockefeller & Co. has
approximately $16.1 billion in assets under advisement for individuals and families,
family offices, nonprofit organizations, foundations, endowments, and global
institutions. Rockefeller’s descendants are investing in clean energy.
•Capricorn Investment Group www.CapricornLLC.com (founded by Jeff Skoll, first president
of eBay Inc.), is focused on sustainable solutions –including greener, cleaner energy –across
all asset classes.
208
Financing Sustainable Cities
Foundations
•Foundations are tax-exempt pools of assets created by individuals, corporations,
or quasi-governmental non-profits like health care districts that are required to
give away 5% of their assets annually to retain their tax status and serve their
mission.
•Foundations are aligned with a mission for which to use their assets. Investments
are not required to be aligned with the purpose, but progressive foundations are
pursuing that goal.
•Foundations give grants as well as two newer categories of mission aligned
investments : Program Related Investments (PRIs)and Mission Related
Investments (MRIs). These instruments can be tied to a mission and need not be
expected to produce a ‘market rate of return’.
•The bulk of a Foundation’s assets, when invested, will need to meet fiduciary
standards as well as the investment policy and goals of the fund itself. The corpus
of the asset base will be tax-exempt and seek market rates of return
commensurate with the appropriate level of risk
EXAMPLES: FOUNDATIONS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Kresge Foundation www.kresge.org
•Sierra Club Foundation www.SierraClubFoundation.org
•Wallace Global Fund www.WGF.org
209
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Pension plans have grown to be some of the largest institutional asset owners worldwide.
Sophisticated investment terms and tools have evolved since 1973 when pension plan rules
were created (ERISA). Since then the Department of Labor and the SEC have evolved strict
rules of behavior for the participants in the pension plan investment industry. Each has its
part to play to finance a global economy in need of fluid capital.
•Pension plans are tax-exempt institutions and therefore unlikely buyers of tax-free muni
bonds. There are other categories in which pension plans can participate in financing local
sustainability needs, but the market will have to address the various factors in the deals as
with any investment –based on the risk and return features –and only secondarily seek a
local, ancillary positive impact with the investment.
EXAMPLES: PENSIONS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•CalPERS: California Public Employees Retirement System www.calpers.ca.gov
•CalSTRS:California State Teachers Retirement Systems, www.calstrs.com
•New York State Pension Fund https://www.osc.state.ny.us/pension/
210
Pensions, including Retirement Plans
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investors &
Networks
PRI and GIIN
Global Nexus
Advisors to
Investors
Threshold Group
Trillium Asset Mgmt.
Sonen Capital
Fund Managers
Community Capital Mgmt
Closed Loop Fund
Clean Fund
211
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Advisors to Investors
Trusts and Multi-family offices: Multi-family and trust offices are often the
result of one family office opening its doors and expertise to other families.
•Combining the assets under one management structure leads to
operational efficiencies and co-investing opportunities.
•These advisors will seek to meet the investment and mission objectives of
their clients and can often be mission or place-based investors with both
taxable and tax-exempt asset pools.
•Generally open to investing across the risk and return spectrum, these
investment pools and advisors might be open to unique opportunities,
including possible grant and partnership roles.
EXAMPLES: MULTI-FAMILY OFFICES INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Threshold Group www.thresholdgroup.com
212
Financing Sustainable Cities
Investment Advisors
•Investment advisors are registered with the SEC to perform investment
services for their clients. Some are associated with big banks and will
have access to a wide variety of investment options.
•Investment advisors are obligated to serve the best interests of the client.
Some investment advisors will have clientele who are taxable investors
and will have a preference for tax-exempt muni bonds.
EXAMPLES: ADVISORS SEEKING IMPACT INVESTMENTS
•Montcalm TRC www.MontcalmTCR.com
•Sonen Capital www.SonenCapital.com
•Trillium Asset Management www.trilliuminvest.com
213
Financing Sustainable Cities
Trillium Asset Management offers Sustainable & Responsible
Investing, Green Investing, Impact Investing, SRI, ESG.
•Trillium works with individual investors to combine
investment performance, along with environmental and
social impact, into well-diversified investment portfolios.
•Community impact investing provides their clients with the
opportunity to support community economic development,
revitalization, growth, and sustainability
•www.trilliuminvest.com
214
Trillium Asset Management
Financing Sustainable Cities
Mutual Fund Managers and Separate
Account Managers
•Large mutual funds are pools of assets gathered by the manager from
various investors.
•Some mutual funds have specific investment goals and missions and will
seek to invest those assets in accordance with supporting that mission.
•Depending on the investment criteria and goals of the mutual fund, they
may be seeking to invest in tax-exempt or taxable issues with a local
impact.
•These mutual funds can be broadly diversified and have lower fees to
investors, and even meet some mission goals.
EXAMPLES: FUND MANAGERS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Community Capital Management specializes in investing in government,
state and municipal bonds in the U.S. www.ccmfixedincome.com
215
Financing Sustainable Cities
Private Debt Funds
•Private debt is a financial tool to borrow and lend money among a small
group of participants, and is not listed on the public debt markets for
trading.
•Private debt funds gather investment dollars from investors and seek to
loan those dollars to small and medium sized businesses whose growth
plans seek some funding.
•Different pools of debt may center on different objectives. Expertise in
the private debt market, and all the other due diligence criteria, will
inform the investor of the risk and benefits associated with private debt
fund managers.
EXAMPLES: PRIVATE DEBT FUNDS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
–Closed Loop Fund www.ClosedLoopFund.com
–Clean Fund www.cleanfund.com
216
Financing Sustainable Cities
Private Debt Funds Examples
•Closed Loop Fund
–Closed Loop Fund (CFL) is a social impact fund investing $100 million in
solutions to increase the recycling of products and packaging. Launched in
2014, it provides zero interest loans to cities and below market loans to
companies for infrastructure that supports recycling, with a particular focus
on enhancing existing infrastructure and closing the loop on materials.
www.ClosedLoopFund.com
•Clean Fund
–CleanFund’s flexible financing program enables property owners to install
modern energy and water technology with no up-front cost, increasing
property cash flows and value. CleanFund’s capital is delivered through
property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, a property tax law
provision adopted in 32 states that allows property owners to repay
investments for building upgrades and new construction via a new line item
on their property tax bill. Commercial landlords are able to pass through
some or all of the increased property taxes to their tenants in a true “win-
win” formula for generating lasting property value.www.cleanfund.com
217
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Private equity is the asset class that includes venture capital. Some investors
focus in categories such as climate action, clean and green tech,
infrastructure and energy efficiency, including software solutions.
•Most private equity investors are very large investors who can allocate a
portion of their portfolios to such high risk investments.
–Accredited investors must have $1 million in net worth
–Qualified investors must have $5 million in investable capital
•Investors in early stage start-ups (e.g. venture capital) can experience returns
ranging from a complete loss to very high 20% to 30%.
•Private equity investments for institutional investors can have significant fees,
lock-up periods (capital cannot be removed easily) and varying transparency.
•Some private equity capital funds may be possible partners for participating
in public/private partnerships.
EXAMPLES: PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Athena Capital www.AthenaCapital.com
218
Private Equity Funds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Big Banks
Goldman Sachs
Morgan Stanley
Sustainable Banks New Resource
Bank
New Platforms Neighborly
219
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Big global investment bank facilitate the creation and distribution of a variety of financial instruments
for a variety of financial participants.
–They may also advise many private clients through their wealth management arms.
–Specialty departments within investment bank can include Municipal Finance (helping cities structure
deals and raise funds), clean energy investments (green and clean tech financing), tax consulting, bond
issuance, etc.
–Some big bank foundations focus on environmental related themes
EXAMPLES: BIG BANKS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Goldman Sachs www.GS.com
•Morgan Stanley www.ms.com
•JP Morgan www.jpmorgan.com
•UBS www.ubs.com
EXAMPLES: BIG BANK FOUNDATIONS for GRANTS
•Wells Fargo Foundation Environmental Grants https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/corporate-
responsibility/community-giving/environmental-grant-program/
•Citi Foundation, Urban Transformation
http://www.citigroup.com/citi/foundation/about/2016-Citi-Foundation-Guidelines.pdf
220
Big Banks
Financing Sustainable Cities
Community Banking
•Banking authorities have mandated that large banks reinvest a portion of their
assets in their local community, and meet a minimum investment level defined by
the Community Reinvestment Act. To this end, large banks and community
foundations can place their deposits in a community bank or loan fund and know
that it will be reinvested in the local community, and will therefore gain them
credit for the Community Reinvestment Act requirements of our banking system.
•Community banks are regular banks with a local presence and mission,
encouraged by the government to make small business loans to small businesses
and non-profits, that large more tightly regulated banks would not make, and are
allocated some level of New Market Tax Credits to apply to loan packages. These
‘higher-risk’ loans are managed carefully at these institutions and, being aligned
with mission, are often provided with mentoring and technical advice for better
risk outcomes.
•Cities can work with local branches of national banks and with local community
banks and other CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) and
develop banking relationships for city funds as well as programs for loans in the
community.
EXAMPLES: COMMUNITY BANKS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Community Bank of the Bay www.BankCBB.com;
•New Resource Bank www.nrb.com
•California Organized Investment Network: www.insurance.ca.gov/0250...coin/Index.cfm
221
Financing Sustainable Cities
•One focus of Sustainable Banking is lending, loans and CDs that connect
to climate action solutions, as well as funding projects with societal
benefits
•Over 200 financial institutions are part of the UN Environmental Program
focused on banks and financial firms http://www.unepfi.org/
•A global community of several dozen sustainable banks is the Global
Alliance for Banking on Values www.gabv.org
•EXAMPLE: New Resource Bank, https://www.newresourcebank.com
–New Resource Bank is a triple-bottom-line bank serving values-driven
businesses and nonprofits that are building a more sustainable world.
–Views money as an agent of positive social, environmental and
economic change and believe banking can transform the economy
–Puts more than $200 million of deposits to work for good by lending
more than $180 million to organizations that seek to benefit
communities and preserve the planet
222
Sustainable Banking
Financing Sustainable Cities
New Platforms for Muni Bonds
•New online platforms are connecting investors with opportunities
for financing climate action solutions, that offer potential financial
returns along with direct environmental benefit
•EXAMPLE: NEIGHBORLY www.Neighborly.com
–Neighborly.com offers a new way for all types of investors to invest in
their own communities through municipal bonds.
–An online platform seeking to bring transparency, efficiency, and
widespread access to the $3.8 trillion in muni bonds and public finance
markets.
–Neighborly's ultimate vision is to democratize not only the municipal
bond market but eventually the broader fixed-income market as well
–Currently 11,000 investors on Neighborly, with access to 50,000 muni
bonds listings online
223
Financing Sustainable Cities
Community
Foundations
East Bay
Community Fdtn
SF Community
Foundation
Silicon Valley
Community Fdtn
Charitable
Advisors Arabella Advisors
Donor Advised
Funds Impact Assets
224
Examples of Funders Seeking Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
Community Foundations
Community foundations gather donations for long term investments and
grants with a local (or donor mandated) mission.
–Provide grants to local non-profits and social programs, possibly using
MRIs and PRIs, and even tilting some of their investments to local
community banks and loan funds, help recycle money in the local
geography.
–Different pools of assets at community foundations will dictate what sort
of financial instruments they will be interested in across the spectrum.
–Partnership opportunities with community foundations and their network
could be extremely fruitful for cross-cultural objectives.
EXAMPLES: FOUNDATIONS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•East Bay Community Foundation www.EBCF.org
•The San Francisco Foundation www.SFF.org
•Silicon Valley Community Foundation www.siliconvalleycf.org
225
Financing Sustainable Cities
Community Foundations
–Check your local community, where community foundations may
apply to city, country or region:
http://www.cof.org/community-foundation-locator
226
Find Your Community Foundation
Financing Sustainable Cities
Impact and Charitable Advisors
•Impact and charitable advisors are a newer specialty consultant to
wealth pools with a mission.
•By offering advice on aligning the grants with impact on the
mission, and aligning the investments to also have an impact on
the mission, these advisors are a new breed of consultant
•Can provide feedback on offerings and a channel to some families
and institutional assets on impact investments in the local market.
EXAMPLE: ADVISORS WITH CLIENTS INVESTING FOR IMPACT
•Arabella Advisors www.ArabellaAdvisors.com
227
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Community Foundations
–Families, individuals, businesses, and nonprofit groups establish funds
within community foundations into which they can contribute a
variety of assets to be used for charitable purposes.
–Clients designate the beneficiaries of their Donor Advised Funds, also
known as “DAFs”
•Donor Advised Funds
–The ImpactAssets Giving Fund is an innovative donor advised fund
that leverages the power of impact investing to put more money to
work for social and environmental benefit. www.ImpactAssets.org
228
Donor Advised Funds
Financing Sustainable Cities
Place-based Investing Is A Focused
Approach for Impact Investors To Fund Climate-Action
•Local impact enables investors to see, hear and feel the benefits;
•Climate-action projects can be a focus of place-based investing
From Leonardo Vazquez,The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking;www.artsbuildcommunities.org
229
Financing Sustainable Cities 230
•Threshold Group’s Place-Based Platform:
–With Threshold’s place-based platform, Invest NW, investments focus on the
social, environmental, and regional economic development of regions; the
Pacific Northwest is active, and Threshold clients in Northern California and
mid-Atlantic are now pursuing it too.
•“The Chicago Model” is a $100 million commitment for place-based investing in
the nation’s 3rd largest city, led by MacArthur Foundation, Calvert, and Chicago
Community Trust
–This approach could be applied to Climate Action solutions
•http://impactalpha.com/the-chicago-model/
•The Partners for Places Fund matches funds 1:1 for community-based
initiatives, including climate-action
–Managed by the Funders’ Network and supported by Bloomberg
Philanthropies,The JPB Foundation, Kendeda Fund,The New York Community
Trust,The Summit Foundation, and Surdna Foundation.
•http://www.fundersnetwork.org/partnersforplaces/
Innovative Impact Investing Approach:
Place Based Investing led by Investors
Financing Sustainable Cities
•Family offices, foundations, and fund managers for impact
–http://www.ussif.org/files/Publications/Family_Offices.pdf
–http://www.MissionInvestors.org
•Foundations
–https://www.nptrust.org/statistics-for-foundations-and-grants/25-
largest-foundations-in-the-us-by-total-assets
–http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2014/7/16/the-9-top-finance-
guys-in-environmental-philanthropy.html
•Networks of investors
–http://www.greenfunders.org
•Green private equity funds
–http://www.thegreenmarketoracle.com/2012/08/top-12-green-
private-equity-firms.html
231
Additional Resources:
Funders Focused on Climate Action
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
232
Financing Sustainable Cities –A Toolkit
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
•Following these 5 steps can lead to funding for sustainable city projects
•Each step has an explanation page in the Executive Summary and the
Full Report…
•…and, in the detailed Full Report, each step provides an example with
details of how to pursue funding for sustainable city projects.
233
Five Steps to Funding Your
Sustainable City Projects
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: Oakland’s Sustainability team developed
a pilot program for encouraging Electric Vehicle Support Equipment (EVSE) such
as charging stations in small, owner-occupied multi-unit dwellings (minimum of 3
units) to promote the adoption of electric vehicles that would permanently reduce
GHG emissions in Oakland. Oakland’s sustainability team constructed an 8 page
summary analysis of the proposed pilot program. The following exercise shows
how this Toolkit and How-To Guide can point to financing solutions.
Example Project from Oakland, CA:
Electric Vehicle Support Equipment (EVSE)
in Owner-Occupied Multi-Unit Dwellings (MUDs)
234
Five Steps to Funding Your
Sustainable City Projects: Example
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Answer 7 questions:
1.Who are the stakeholders, and thus possible partners ?
(e.g. corporate,NGO, philanthropic, federal,state, utility, commission)
2.Who benefits –and who pays?
3.What revenue streams can be collected and for how long?
4.What is the timeframe to implement the project?
5.What are the complete lifecycle costs?
6.Is there a positive ROI, NPV, IRR and payback?Is it in the budget?
Or does it need a new financing tool?
7.How could you best match the financing mechanism to the
project characteristics?
235
Step 1:Answer 7 Questions
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
•Envision potential partnerships for a common goal, and
outline the net benefits of collaborating together.
•Seek out aligned groups in your community: corporate
partners, engaged environmentalists, faculty and students at
local universities, other NGO or government entities, and
even regulatory bodies.
•Partners may have resources to share:e.g.human capital
and talent;financial capital in a partnership; natural capital
like wetlands or riparian corridors;and the desire to test pilot
projects to prove the goals.
•Use financial tookits like this How-To Guide, and funding
wizards and searchable databases (e.g.
https://fundwiz.ice.ucdavis.edu,and
http://www.dsireusa.org)
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA:For Oakland, there are
several possible ideas.
•A non-profit could provide the initial funding to start the
pilot.
•Then the city could partner with a financial intermediary
to manage a revolving loan fund.
•Additionally, the non-profit may provide a loan guarantee
to offset the first potential losses of the fund and reduce
the interest rate needed for the program.
•State and Federal agencies, like the California
Infrastructure Bank. can also fund energy related projects
and programs.
•The California Energy Commission, similarly found in
many other states, has funds to possibly support
alternative energy uses.
1. Who are the stakeholders, and thus possible partners ?
(e.g. corporate,NGO, philanthropic, federal,state, utility, commission)
236
Step 1, Question 1:
Stakeholders and Partners
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Fairness doctrine connects the users of a project, service
or benefit to the cash flows for it. If the benefit accrues to
all members of the community, then all members could be
part of paying for that service. Municipalities provide
many services and their residents pay for them mainly in
the form of taxes (on property, income, purchases) or fees
(garbage, water etc.) that provide income to the city for its
people and services. If however, some civic investment is
directly aimed at a certain neighborhood or district, for
example a small water facility, then the direct users of that
service could be the primary payers.
For example, if benefits will accrue to:
•The entire community = Apply Taxes: sales, property
and assessments
•A special group = District Assessments
•Specific users or beneficiaries = User Fees
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: In Oakland’s case, to
promote the EVSE pilot,
•the grantor/donor could provide the funds and the
owner occupied/property owner and its tenants
would benefit from the installation.
•In the long run, the community as a whole would
benefit from lower GHG emissions and better energy
management.
•Consequently, examining a combination of the
property owner and the City’s finances to determine
the appropriate partners for this transaction could be
fruitful.
•The City’s choice of partners in the grant or Revolving
Loan Fund can provide validation to the program.
2. Who benefits –and who pays?
237
Step 1, Question 2:
Beneficiaries and Payers
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Increasingly, direct revenue streams are linked to specific
projects rather than the general city fund. Determining
whether a financing stream can be tapped for repayment
helps to define how risky that investment may be. If the
project is likely to bring a long term broad benefit to the
community, like a major transit hub that will benefit the
nearest businesses and property owners, assessment
districts can be used to capture the increasing property
values. Also users of that transit can be assessed user
fees for parking and riding the transit. Projected property
values and fees can be earmarked for future debt
payments, and revenue or industrial development bonds
or fees can be wrapped into a financial security. Look for:
•Increased future values and taxes
•Self funding from future savings
•Creation of a new revenue stream, for example,
reselling the recycled waste
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA:
Owners of these multi-unit dwellings with new EVSE
charging stations will benefit from significantly reduced
energy costs for their vehicles.
Property owners may also be able to charge tenants with a
‘user fee’ for charging their vehicles, helping to recover
costs that exceed the grant.
After the pilot grant program ends, the revolving loan fund
is expected to provide return of capital over the following
15+ years.
3. What revenue streams can be collected and for how long?
238
Step 1, Question 3:
Mapping Revenue Streams
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Long-lived assets like infrastructure can be financed so the
costs incurred for the project be spread over a similar
timeframe as the life of the project --and better allocate
the costs to the people who will benefit from the projects
or services.
Short term projects or fixes can be financed by shorter
term vehicles, like fees or short term borrowings.
Some newer projects require complex negotiations and
long term arrangements for cooperation.
Generally the greater the number of partners involved in
any transactions means more complexity and time
necessary to execute the deal and start the investment.
Common goals and values need to be embedded, and
strict monitoring or quarterbacking is necessary for
complex projects
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA:
It could take 3-5 years to roll out the EVSE for MUDs pilot
program and install the new charging equipment in 5% of
Oakland’s multi-unit dwellings; potentially to be followed
with a larger installation target with financial support.
This project is focused on a small target group, and does
not require complex financing tools.
Risks are relatively low from the lenders’ and borrowers’
point of view, and the overall dollar amount is relatively
small.
4. What is the timeframe to implement the project?
239
Step 1, Question 4:
Timeframe and Complexity
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
•Many municipal developments have been
accomplished with a Design/Build-at-the-lowest -cost
mindset. Accepting the lowest bid may not include all
the long term costs of financing, operating and
maintaining that project. By including the long term,
entire life-cycle costs, more sustainability can be built
into a project that will offer a total lower overall cost
because it includes sustainable savings in the total
lifecycle.
•“DBFOM”: Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Maintain =
long term partnership
•Up front one-time costs may generate on-going
savings,particularly in energy costs
•Annual maintenance costs should be counted as part
of the project’s lifecycle costs
•Cost savings can include avoidance or mitigation of
future costs
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: The primary costs for
the charging stations will be the installation of the
equipment at each new location. Future upgrades to the
equipment, as they develop, will be minor compared to the
cost of installing the basic infrastructure. Technological
developments will impact the long term costs of those
upgrades, as well as to how the storage of energy can help
the local grid manage supply and demand better in the
community. Each EVSE charging station would cost about
$1700 and the installation is estimated at $4452 in the Bay
Area. Given an expected level of support in the pilot
program of $5000, an estimate of the upfront cost to install
EVSEs in 5% of these targeted buildings is $2.575 million.
5. What are the complete lifecycle costs?
240
Step 1, Question 5:
Complete Lifecycle Costs
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
With many city budgets as tight as they are, financing new
sustainability projects and priorities sometimes must yield to
other competing programs --or must find a new financing
source. Understanding current budget requirements may
indicate where funding for new projects can be found. Often
with sustainability projects and investments, energy cost
savings can be used to fund new programs, like LED lighting.
Substituting long term carbon-based energy with renewable
energy sources (like reducing GHG emissions from city fleets as
it switches to EV) can make economic sense when the whole
cost structure is analyzed over the life of the investment.
Additionally, many estimates on such cost savings projections
are continually being revised as technological improvements
force changes to core assumptions.
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: The pilot program
is expected to rely on a grant to prove the concept that
efficient at-home electric recharging will encourage
the acquisition of electric vehicles and in the long term
have a great impact on reducing GHG emissions in the
community –and test the assumptions of ROI,NPV
and payback. Grants will start the new program, build
community support and positive evidence of success.
In the second phase of the plan, a Revolving Loan Fund
can provide low interest rate loans to property owners
to add such EVSE, which can be repaid by energy
savings and pass-through to users, which supports a
positive ROI and NPV estimate.
6. Is there a positive ROI, NPV, IRR and payback?Is it in the budget? Or
does it need a new financing tool?
241
Step 1, Question 6:
Key Financial Metrics for Funders
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Each project or investment in sustainability should be structured
to match the life term of the project to the term of the financial
instrument and also to match the beneficiary of the service to the
payor of that service.
Short term may be 1-5 years
Longer term may be over 10 or 20 years
Infrastructure projects can be up to 30-50 years
Understanding the replacement time frame for different target
interventions can help in the planning process to meet long term
goals. Estimate the duration of a project’s benefits, which can be
in terms of GHG emissions reductions, vehicle miles travelled
reductions, energy use improvement, etc. For example,for a city
to switch over the fleets to electric vehicles, staging purchases
over time or funding the entire fleet at once would use different
financial instruments.
EXAMPLE –OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: It is
estimated to take 3-5 years to roll out the pilot
program and install the new charging equipment
in 5% of Oakland’s multi-unit dwellings;
potentially to be followed with a larger installation
target with financial support.
7. How could you best match the financing mechanism to the project characteristics?
242
Step 1, Question 7:
Ideas for Financing Mechanisms
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
243
Step 2: Build The Factsheet, with your Finance Team
(1 of 2)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
244
Step 2: Build The Factsheet, with your Finance Team
(2 of 2)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Your
Climate-Action
Capital Needs
Budget with
Your City
Finance Group
Find Investors,
or Grantmakers
Create Public
Private
Partnerships
Taxes
User Fees
Investor Financing
Donor Grants
Partnerships
245
Step 3: Consult with Capital Sources, Starting with your
City and Exploring Investors, Donors and Partners
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
Financing mechanisms are flexible, yet some may better match a particular need. This sample template highlights specific
characteristics to help in deciding which financial mechanisms can fit your project –and a particular funder’s focus.
246
Step 4: Determine the Best Financial Mechanism
with Your Experts (1 of 2)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
247
Step 4: Determine the Best Financial Mechanism
with Your Experts (1 of 2)
Financing Sustainable Cities
Answer The
7 Questions
Build The
Factsheet
Consult With
Capital
Sources
Determine
Financial
Mechanism
Execute The
Financing
•Your climate-action projects require working internally with city staff, and
possibly with outside funders or partners.
•Executing the financing is an interactive, dynamic process.
•The financing mechanisms and case studies in this Toolkit provide a
catalog of possibilities for your climate-action projects to be funded –
and to deliver potential GHG reductions.
248
Step 5: Engage Investors & Partners, and Execute
Your Financing Deal
Financing Sustainable Cities
•The Smart Cities Council: Smart Cities Financing Guide
–http://smartcitiescouncil.com/resources/smart-cities-financing-guide
•The ICLEI Resilient Cities guide (http://www.iclei.org/activities/projects-initiatives.html)consisting of a
range of tools, guidebooks, conferences, seminars and networks, as well as access to
financing opportunities, offers tailor-made climate resilience strategies to local, regional
and national governments.http://resilient-cities.iclei.org
•The Sustainable Cities Collective: http://www.sustainablecitiescollective.com
•California Financial Opportunities Roundtable scan: Access to Capital (sources
available in CA) http://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CA-CalFOR.pdf
•C40 Climate Action and Climate Finance Reports
–http://www.c40.org/researches/unlocking-climate-action-in-megacities
–http://www.siemens.com.sg/zdoc/corporatecommunications/new%20perspectives%20lr.pdf
249
Read these Additional Educational Resources for
“Financing Sustainable Cities”
Financing Sustainable Cities
I.Setting Your Climate Action Goals
II.Financial Sources & Mechanisms for Capital
III.Key Metrics & How to Calculate Them
IV.Potential Funders for Municipal Climate Solutions
V.Five Steps to Funding Your Sustainable City Projects
250
Financing Sustainable Cities –
You Have Completed The TOOLKIT
Financing Sustainable Cities
•HIP (Human Impact + Profit) Investor Inc.
experts in sustainable finance
R. Paul Herman, CEO, Paul@HIPinvestor.com
Lauryn Agnew, expert, LaurynAgnew@SealCoveFinancial.com
Nick Gower, manager, Nick@HIPinvestor.com
•Lead USDN city: City of Palo Alto CA
Gil Friend, Chief Sustainability Officer,
Gil.Friend@CityOfPaloAlto.org
Sarah Isabel Moe, sustainability analyst
Sarah.Moe@DNVGL.com
•USDN:Urban Sustainability
Directors Network, usdn.org
Nils Moe, Managing Director
NilsMoe@usdn.org
251
About the Authors:
Contact Us for Questions, or to Share New Examples