County Files Suit in Federal Court
to Save Innovative Energy Program

Santa Rosa, Calif. – Taking bold action to ensure the survival of its local innovative energy efficiency program, the County of Sonoma filed suit in federal court on July 26th against Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The federal court action is an effort to reverse recent federal regulatory actions which have jeopardized the future of the groundbreaking Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP). The SCEIP is the nation’s largest property assessed clean energy program and, to date, has helped over 1,044 property owners fund energy and water efficiency improvements on their homes and businesses through property assessments.  Full Press Release.

SCEIP Update

We are open for business!  There has been tremendous support of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs across the nation. New legislation is being introduced to protect PACE programs and a huge letter writing campaign aimed at the President, Vice President and many executives of the FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac is taking place. Copies of the bills and correspondence are available for review on our website.

Program Changes. SCEIP is one of the first programs of its kind in the Nation. We are constantly working to identify areas for improvement. The following changes are effective immediately:

• Clarification of 110% Lien to Value guideline. The lien to value ratio, excluding the requested financing amount, cannot exceed 100%. (Sum of all liens / assessed or market value ≤ 100%.) In addition, the requested financing amount cannot exceed 10% of the property value. (Requested financing amount / assessed or market value ≤ 10%.)  The new Eligibility Calculator form is available online. 


• PG&E Rebate forms now required with application. SCEIP cannot finance amounts that qualify for rebates. For items that qualify for a PG&E rebate, i.e., Hot water heaters, HVAC systems, etc., the PG&E rebate form must be included with the application and the rebate amount shown as deducted on the contractor’s bid.  CEC Rebate forms are also required to reflect solar rebates.


• PG&E Authorization forms now required.  In order to better report how well we’re reducing energy use, we need your authorization [link] to determine the difference.  We'll request the PG&E Authorization form when we provide a copy of the Truth In Lending Agreement (TILA) Disclosure form.


• Title and Recording Fees required as your application proceeds through the process. In order to keep program costs down, we are now requiring a check for the title fee ($50/$125) after we have reviewed the completed application, prior to requesting the title search.  This usually occurs when the Truth In Lending Agreement (TILA) Disclosure form is provided. Additionally, the $66 recording fee will be required at the contract signing.

Please check back often for up-to-date information.