Ygrene fund offers millions for municipal energy efficiency retrofits

Ygrene Energy Fund recently began marketing its loan program to cities and counties across the US for energy efficiency retrofits. The fund has formed alliances with British investment bank Barclays Capital, US defense contractor Lockheed Martin, and German reinsurance giant Hannover Re. Ygrene has won exclusive contracts to market retrofits in a half-dozen communities in the Miami area, and expects to finalize a contract with Sacramento. It expects to fund $650 million in projects in Florida and Sacramento.
Oct. 5, 2011

Ygrene Energy Fund recently began marketing its loan program to cities and counties across the US for energy efficiency retrofits. The fund has formed alliances with British investment bank Barclays Capital, US defense contractor Lockheed Martin, and German reinsurance giant Hannover Re. Ygrene has won exclusive contracts to market retrofits in a half-dozen communities in the Miami area, and expects to finalize a contract with Sacramento. It expects to fund $650 million in projects in Florida and Sacramento. The nonprofit Ygrene also announced it had formed a consortium to fund construction work that would cut energy consumption in homes and businesses across the US.
(http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110925/BUSINESS/110929690/1036/sitemaps)

Ygrene will finance the energy upgrades entirely with private money through groups like Barclays. It will run the programs without any costs to local governments, which must authorize the programs and collect payments from borrowers. 

About the Author

Drew Ballensky

Drew Ballensky is general manager of Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.’s central U.S. facility in Iowa and company spokesman for Duro-Last’s cool roofing, sustainability and architectural education programs. He is past-president of the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association and chairman of CFFA’s Vinyl Roofing Division. Drew earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Northern Iowa and master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University. Drew has over 29 years experience in business and industry in various engineering and managerial capacities. He has worked in the U.S. and Canadian operations for a major international manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings, was a financial analyst with a major athletic apparel manufacturer and was an owner of a general contracting company.
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