Town of Lantana Partners with Boynton Beach & Lake Worth Chambers to Roll Out New GreenBiz Energy Financing Program

    LANTANA, FL, July 22, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Town of Lantana, in partnership with the Greater Lake Worth and Greater Boynton Beach Chambers of Commerce, has selected a team led by EcoCity Partners, L3C to create the new GreenBiz Energy Collaborative Program.

This innovative new initiative will leverage up to $15-million in private bank financing to enable businesses to complete energy efficiency or renewable energy projects on their buildings and facilities, which should result in lower energy costs while generating new jobs for local contractors. The financing will fund the upfront costs of the building retrofits.

The new GreenBiz Energy Collaborative Program is being funded by a Florida Clean Energy Grant, awarded last year, after the proposal placed first out of 120 competitive applications submitted statewide.

The team from EcoCity Partners includes Renewable Funding, an energy financing pioneer and industry leader in such programs throughout the country, and EcoChamber, the non-profit global green chamber of commerce. The team will create both the financing and the green business certification program that participants can use to market the green goals they achieve.

In addition, the GreenBiz Energy Collaborative Program will be open to other municipal and county governments in Florida who want to opt-in and provide these benefits to their local businesses.

"We are very excited to finally roll out this energy-saving initiative which will help businesses save money on electricity costs while simultaneously creating desperately needed jobs in the community," said Lantana Town Manager Michael Bornstein. "The design of this multi-jurisdictional partnership began well over a year ago and it is really exciting to finally get to work."

"Our goal is to be able to start offering financing within six to seven months," said Michael Wallander, Principal with EcoCity Partners and the Program's Project Manager. "We know there is significant demand for this valuable program, and we have already had discussions with other city and county governments who are impressed by our financing alternatives and the potential to help local businesses during a sluggish economic environment."

"The real winners in this process are the businesses," agreed Heri Santiago, Chairman of the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce.

"We will be providing free workshops to educate businesses about the opportunities to 'green up' both by saving money and doing the right thing," added Glenn Jergensen, President & CEO of the Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

This Program will be the first commercially-focused financing program of its kind in the State of Florida and one of only a handful in the entire country. It will seek to build upon the success of a similar PACE financing program for residential property owners that was established by Leon County, Florida - the Leon Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).

EcoCity Partners, L3C (ECP) develops innovative and effective public-private partnerships that create green jobs, facilitate renewable energy and energy efficiency property improvements and strengthen communities. For further information, please contact us at 818-527-6511 or [email protected]. Website - www.ecocitypartners.com

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