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    Energy Accelerator Program

    Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) Program

    Pennsylvania has a large quantity of aging municipal buildings and facilities. Modernizing these structures through infrastructure improvements, energy efficiency retrofits, and energy system upgrades will reduce demand on Pennsylvania’s electrical grid and support emission reduction goals. Such improvements will also reduce energy bills for municipalities, providing communities with economic, energy, and environmental benefits. The MORE Program enables local governments to realize their energy efficiency goals without straining their budgets.

    PEDA’s MORE Program is a financing program to support local governments to cost-effectively deploy energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The MORE Program consists of both a MORE Grant and a MORE Loan. Together, they provide local governments the opportunity to achieve effective energy efficiency upgrades and reduce energy costs.

    Who is eligible for the MORE Program?

    Eligible applicants for the MORE Program are Pennsylvania local governments that were not eligible for an Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Please see the resources section below for a full list of local governments allocated EECBG awards that would not be eligible for a MORE Grant. Eligible local government entities include:

    • Counties
    • Cities
    • Boroughs
    • Towns
    • Townships
    • Municipal Authorities

    MORE Grants

    PEDA offered $1.9 million in grants as the first step in the MORE Program in 2024. MORE Grants were granted on a first come, first served basis and aimed to reduce barriers for local governments to secure energy efficiency financing. Eligible applicants applied for up to $50,000 for any one or all of the following uses:

    • Level 2 commercial energy audits
    • Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) Project design and MORE Loan application development
    • Interest rate buydown on a MORE Loan

    These grants are administered by the Commonwealth. Grant guidance and application instructions can be found in the Resources section below. Please note that application is closed and may not have a second round of funding.

    MORE Loans

    The MORE Loan is a revolving loan fund to help local governments achieve their energy efficiency projects, small or large. These loans must be at least $5,000 and can have repayment terms of up to 7 years or the end of a project’s useful life. The MORE Loan offers below-market interest rates; however, MORE Grant recipients can buy down their interest rate to as low as 0%. Borrowers must have a level 2 commercial energy audit and energy conservation measure project design/scope to apply for the loan. MORE Loans can be used for the following:

    • Energy efficiency upgrades
    • Building retrofits
    • On-site renewable energy generation projects (must be paired with energy efficiency measures to qualify)

    MORE Loans will be administered by the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF). The MORE Loan application opened December 27, 2024. MORE Loans have no closing date and will be open for applicants after the MORE Grant application closes as long as funds are available. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to NEIF to discuss the process and interest rate options. For their contact and more information on how to apply, please visit NEIF’s website.

    Local Government Unit Debt Act Approval

    Each local government borrower must provide NEIF with a copy of the proceedings submitted to, as well as the approval from, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) stating that the debt to be incurred by the borrower, or by any local government unit guaranteeing its debt, in connection with the project funding is approved under the Local Government Unit Debt Act (LGUDA), 53 Pa.C.S. § 8001 et seq. The loan cannot be closed without prior approval by DCED. More information about the LGUDA approval requirements and process can be found on DCED’s website and questions should be directed to DCED at RA-DCLGUDA@pa.gov or (717) 783-8452.

    MORE Program Informational Webinar

    Contact

    For project and funding inquiries, please contact Alayna Schmeider, Energy Program Specialist at aschmeider@pa.gov or 717-783-0908

    Resources: