DC Green Scene

In September 2009, the City of Knoxville was awarded more than $2 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding. The City obtained approval to use $250,000 of that funding for initial investment to support the installation of a high-quality, 90-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system using third-party of other innovative financing models. The City of Knoxville successfully used power purchase agreements to build the PV project and save money—all in an area of the country that isn’t allowed to have power purchase agreements.

Challenges With SMUD’s Community Renewable Energy Project

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is tapping into multiple financing sources to successfully develop an anaerobic digester project as part of its overall CommRE project. The challenges and successes SMUD has experienced to date will be covered as well the banking sector’s perspective on financing renewable energy projects and how to help communities understand and navigate financing complexities.