HERO Program Expands Further in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, CA—The HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program is adding to the list of Orange County cities that have adopted the sustainability program. Four cities here—Fountain Valley, La Habra, Rancho Santa Margarita and San Clemente—have officially launched the program, which enables homeowners and commercial property owners to make energy- and water-efficiency improvements and pay them off through their property-tax bill.

The four cities join 17 others in Orange County that have already launched HERO, including Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Placentia, Santa Ana, Stanton, Tustin and Westminster. Yorba Linda is set to launch this summer. Property owner repay the assessment over five, 10, 15 or 20 years; interest is tax deductible, and homeowners see immediate savings on electric and water utility bills.

According to Blair McNeill, VP of community development for Renovate America, the company that administers HERO, “Homeowners know that investing in energy and water efficiency waves money in the long run. Now most homeowners can access affordable financing to make these efficiency upgrades. HERO is helping homeowners realize tomorrow's energy-efficient future today.”

HERE has now been adopted by 290 communities in California, and its success in this state is part of a national trend, with PACE programs now flourishing in 31 states. The new financing model is quickly becoming a cornerstone of America's push for cleaner power and energy independence, according to Renovate America.

GlobeSt.com has learned that Orange County has also adopted other sustainability programs for both home and business. According to Scott Kitcher of CleanTech-OC.org, “We have done a lot in the year we have been around; most uniquely in terms of our mentorship program in which we assist small and medium-sized businesses and, in a couple of cases, local government implement sustainability programs ... for free.” Two additional programs are the California First program and the Figtree program, Lacy Kelly, CEO for the Association of California Cities—Orange County.