Programs and Policy Initiatives

The Jordan Institute designs and administers innovative programs that help owners of commercial, institutional and residential buildings carry out energy-saving upgrades. These programs offer various forms of financing, technical assistance, and cost-sharing for eligible projects. They are jointly administered by Jordan partner organizations who are familiar with the needs and concerns of those served by the programs.

PROGRAMS

Current programs include:

Enterprise Energy Fund
Administered by the Community Development Finance Authority, Community Loan Fund and Jordan, this low-interest loan and grant program is available to businesses and nonprofit organizations to help finance energy improvements and renewable energy projects in their buildings.

Giving Power Back
Administered by the Retail Merchants Association of New Hampshire and Jordan, this program provides current and new members of RMANH reduced-cost energy audits and partial funding for implementation of energy efficiency projects.

Beacon Communities Program
Supported by a major grant from the US Department of Energy, this program will invest in neighbor-to-neighbor outreach, technical assistance, and sustainable financing mechanisms to retrofit thousands of homes, businesses, and public buildings in an initial group of three communities: Berlin, Nashua and Plymouth. The program is a collaborative effort of the three communities and several public and private statewide entities, including the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, Community Development Finance Authority, electric utilities and the Jordan Institute.

POLICY INITIATIVES

The Jordan Institute plays a leading role in the development of new and improved public policies to support implementation of conservation, efficiency and clean energy improvements throughout New Hampshire's buildings. Our activities extend to the legislature, Public Utilities Commission, and other agencies, advisory boards and working groups.

Recent activities include:

Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Districts
The Jordan Institute played a leading role in the enactment into law of HB 1554, which allows municipalities to create "property-assessed clean energy" or "PACE" districts in which homeowners and businesses can access financing for energy efficiency and clean energy improvements. The new law is chapter 53-F of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes and took effect in August 2010. PACE finance programs created in other states since 2008 have proven highly effective at removing barriers that homeowners and businesses face in undertaking energy efficiency and clean energy projects. Unfortunately, a dispute with federal housing regulators has resulted in PACE programs throughout the nation being put on hold. The Jordan Insitute is working with interested parties to resolve the dispute and allow PACE programs to go into operation in New Hampshire and the many other states that have recently enacted authorizing legislaion.

The Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Board (EESE), on which Executive Director Dick Henry serves, was created by the New Hampshire legislature “to promote and coordinate energy efficiency, demand response, and sustainable energy programs in the state.”  The Board’s responsibilities include developing plans for economic and environmental sustainability of the state's energy system including high efficiency renewable clean energy resources with low net greenhouse gas emissions; recommending plans to allocate energy efficiency and renewable energy funds; expanding the state's efficiency programs; encouraging municipalities and counties to increase investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy; and investigating innovative funding strategies and improving coordination of funding sources to increase access to energy efficiency and  renewables.

Dick  also serves on the CORE Energy Efficiency Advisory Board, which oversees the administration of gas and electric utility efficiency programs; on two working groups of the Governor’s Climate Change Policy Task Force, which developed the state Climate Change Action plan; and on the Local Energy Committee Working Group, which works with Local Energy Committees throughout New Hampshire.