BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó




                     SENATE GOVERNANCE & FINANCE COMMITTEE
                            Senator Lois Wolk, Chair
          

          BILL NO:  SB 1130                     HEARING:  4/11/12
          AUTHOR:  deLeón                       FISCAL:  Yes
          VERSION:  2/21/12                     TAX LEVY:  No
          CONSULTANT:  Grinnell                 

           COMMERCIAL BUILDING ENERGY RETROFIT FINANCING ACT OF 2012
          

           Enacts the Commercial Building Energy Retrofit Act of 2012


                           Background and Existing Law  


          When public agencies issue bonds, they borrow money from 
          investors, who provide cash in exchange for the agencies' 
          commitment to repay the principal amount of the bond plus 
          interest in the future.  Bonds are divided into two 
          categories: revenue bonds, which repay investors out of 
          revenue generated from the project the agency buys with 
          bond proceeds, like a parking garage, and 
          general-obligation bonds, which the state pays out of 
          general revenues and is guaranteed by the agency's full 
          faith and credit.  

          California relies on the California Constitution and the 
          state's General Obligation Bond Law to issue 
          general-obligation debt.  The Constitution allows the 
          Legislature to authorize general obligation bonds for 
          specific purposes with a two-thirds vote of the Assembly 
          and Senate, as it did with the Safe, Clean, and Reliable 
          Drinking Water Supply Act (SBx7 2, Cogdill, 2010), but must 
          be enacted by majority vote of the state's electorate.   
          State law allows many agencies to issue revenue bonds or 
          other credit instruments without voter approval.

          The California Alternative Energy and Advanced 
          Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) provides 
          financing for facilities that use alternative energy 
          sources and technologies.  CAEATFA can issue revenue bonds, 
          make loans, loan loss reserves, and loan guarantees, as 
          well as other financial instruments to develop and 
          commercialize advanced transportation technologies that 
          conserve energy, reduce air pollution, and promote economic 




          SB 1130 (deLeón) -- 2/21/11 -- Page 2



          development and jobs.   However, state law limits CAEATFA's 
          total debt to $1 billion.  CAEATFA's board, composed of 
          Treasurer, Controller, Director of Finance, Chairperson of 
          the Energy Commission and President of the Public Utilities 
          Commission, decides which projects to assist.  

          The California Constitution establishes the Board of 
          Equalization (BOE) as a five-member board composed of four 
          members elected by each district plus the State Controller. 
           Currently, BOE administers 34 separate fee programs, in 
          addition to tis duty to administer the state sales and use 
          tax and excise taxes. 


                                   Proposed Law  

          Senate Bill 1130 enacts the Commercial Building Energy 
          Retrofit Financing Program, administered by CAEATFA, to 
          help provide benefits from alternative energy and energy 
          efficiency improvements to participating owners of 
          commercial buildings.  The Program provides financial 
          assistance to use one or more energy efficiency specialists 
          to retrofit the property with one or more alternative 
          energy sources or renewable energy improvements.  Revenue 
          bonds or a short-term, revolving line of credit issued by 
          CAETFA provide the proceeds to pay for the improvements, 
          which are subsequently repaid by property owners.  CAEATFA 
          may only fund those projects where the long-term savings 
          provided by the energy efficiency improvements exceed its 
          cost.  Applicants must agree to recording an energy 
          remittance payment agreement on the eligible building to 
          secure repayment.  

          I.  Application.  First, CAEATFA must establish an 
          application process that may include one or more deadlines. 
           CAEATFA may charge an application fee to reimburse it for 
          costs incurred to review applications, which must be 
          disclosed to the applicant along with the loan loss reserve 
          fee and interest rate charged before the applicant submits 
          the application.  The bill creates the Administrative 
          Account in the Commercial Building Energy Retrofit Debt 
          Servicing Fund (discussed below), where CAEATFA must 
          deposit application fees.  The measure continuously 
          appropriates this account to CAETFA to implement the 
          program.  
          CAEATFA must also establish underwriting guidelines that 





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          consider an applicant's qualification and other appropriate 
          factors, including credit reports and loan-to-value ratios, 
          necessary to obtain a bond rating for bonds issued under 
          the program.

          Second, the commercial property owner desiring financial 
          assistance under the program applies to CAEATFA; the 
          application constitutes consent to record the energy 
          remittance repayment agreement.  The application must state 
          in 12-point type that it serves as voluntary consent from 
          the property owner to record the agreement on the deed of 
          buildings and a lien against the property to secure 
          repayment for improvements authorized under the program.  

          The owner must include the following information in the 
          application:
                 Name, business address, and email address of all of 
               the owners of the eligible building,
                 Names and contact information for all entities with 
               a secured lien on the eligible building,
                 The total dollar amount of liens recorded on the 
               eligible building,
                 An appraisal of the value of the eligible building,
                 A detailed description of the energy efficiency 
               improvements,
                 Name of the financial institution providing 
               financing for the improvements and the structure of 
               the loan,
                 Any information that the authority requires to 
               verify that the owner will completer the improvement,
                 An analysis by an energy efficiency specialist to 
               quantify the costs of the energy efficiency 
               improvements, and total energy and water costs savings 
               realized by the owner.  The analysis shall estimate 
               carbon impacts, and include a cash flow analysis,
                 Any other information CAEATFA requires, and
                 A detailed description of the property and the 
               transactional activities associated with the 
               retrofits, including all transactional costs and other 
               information deemed necessary by the authority.

          II.  Project Requirements.  CAEATFA may only provide 
          financial assistance to applications where:
                 The costs of the energy efficiency improvements do 
               not exceed 10% of the value of the building according 
               to the appraisal required in the application.





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                 For energy efficiency projects that exceed 
               $500,000, the contractor installing the improvements 
               or the property owner obtains a guarantee on the 
               energy and water costs savings detailed in the 
               application's analysis by obtaining a security in the 
               full amount of the savings.  The security shall be 
               energy savings insurance issued by an A.M. Best "A" or 
               better rated carrier, an investment grade guarantee, 
               energy efficiency bond, or letter of credit or cash 
               collateral.

          III.  Repayment.  CAEATFA and the applicant shall establish 
          a schedule of repayment required by the agreement and 
          collected by BOE, which then deposits any moneys into the 
          Commercial Building Energy Retrofit Debt Servicing Fund, 
          established by the bill and continuously appropriated to 
          repay bonds under the program and defraying any of the 
          Treasurer's direct or indirect costs under the program.  

          BOE may also charge a fee to the owner of the building to 
          cover its costs to implement this program.  The bill 
          establishes the Collection Administration Account in the 
          Commercial Building Energy Retrofit Debt Servicing Fund, 
          and directs BOE to deposit funds from the fee into the 
          account, which is continuously appropriated to BOE for the 
          costs of implementing the program 

          The bill also creates the Loan Loss Reserve Account in the 
          Commercial Building Energy Retrofit Debt Servicing Fund, 
          and directs BOE to deposit the portion of the contractual 
          remittance that is the loan loss reserve fee into the 
          account, which is continuously appropriated to the 
          Treasurer to pay outstanding loan balances due under an 
          energy remittance repayment agreement on a building that 
          has been foreclosed upon and the proceeds generated from 
          the foreclosure are insufficient to pay any past due 
          payments.

          The first installment becomes due and owing within 30 days 
          of the recording of the energy remittance repayment 
          agreement, and each subsequent installment becomes due and 
          owing 30 days after the previous one.  The repayment period 
          cannot exceed the useful life of the energy efficiency 
          improvements, or 20 years, whichever is shorter.  

          Upon failure of the applicant to pay any installment, BOE 





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          or CAEATFA may assess a penalty that is a percentage of the 
          delinquent payment.  Either agency may also declare the 
          entire outstanding balance amount of the agreement, 
          including penalties, costs, and interest, immediately due 
          and owing, then foreclose on the agreement.  Within an 
          unspecified amount of time, BOE shall provide CAEATFA and 
          the applicant and notice of default, and provide an 
          unspecified number of days for the applicant to cure the 
          default.  

          Additionally, CAEATFA shall notify the county tax collector 
          in the county in which the building is located if the 
          applicant fails to cure the default, and the tax collector 
          shall sell the building according to statutes guiding sales 
          of tax-defaulted property.  Tax sale revenues shall be 
          distributed to satisfy liens on the eligible building in 
          accordance with priority of the liens as provided by law.  

          Applicants may pay the entire unpaid balance of the 
          agreement plus interest without prepayment penalty.  Upon 
          full payment of the balance, BOE shall notify CAEATFA, 
          which shall record a release of the lien within an 
          unspecified period.

          IV.  Approval and Modification.  CAEATFA must hold a public 
          hearing to approve an application for inclusion into the 
          loan portfolio, or to modify a previously approved 
          application.  CAEATFA must post a notice of the hearing on 
          its website and provide notice to any existing lienholders 
          of a building eligible for financial assistance 30 days 
          prior to the hearing.  The notice must inform lienholders 
          that any complaints or objections to the application must 
          be submitted to CAEATFA in writing prior to the hearing.  
          The notice must specify:
                 The name of the applicant,
                 The address of the eligible building,
                 The amount required to be repaid by the energy 
               remittance repayment agreement,
                 The date and place of the hearing,
                 The repayment schedule, 
                 The interest rate, and
                 Any relevant modification.


          CAEATFA shall consider the following items when considering 
          an application:





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                 Whether loan recipients are legal owners of the 
               underlying property.
                 Whether loan recipients are current on any 
               outstanding mortgage and property tax payments.
                 Whether loan recipients are in default of in 
               bankruptcy proceedings.
                 Whether retrofits finance buy the program follow 
               applicable standards of energy efficiency.

          CAEATFA shall approve applications by adopting a resolution 
          approving the application and authorizing recording the 
          repayment agreement, including the amount to be repaid, the 
          interest rate, and the repayment schedule.  CAEATFA must 
          also approve any modifications by resolution.  CAEATFA 
          shall send the resolution to BOE 30 days after adoption, or 
          30 days after a final, nonappealable judgment, and also 
          record the energy remittance repayment agreement with the 
          county in which the eligible building is located.   Upon 
          recording, CAEATFA shall include the approved application 
          in the portfolio.

          V.  Liens.  SB 1130 provides that any lien recorded to 
          secure repayment is subordinate to all existing liens, but 
          superior to any recorded thereafter.  A tax sale does not 
          extinguish the obligation to satisfy the repayment 
          agreement.  In the event of a foreclosure, the payment 
          shall not be extinguished unless the outstanding balance, 
          including penalties and interest is fully paid through the 
          foreclosure proceeding.

          Additionally, a lienholder that has submitted a complaint 
          or objection may bring an action in the superior court an 
          action challenging the adoption of the resolution with the 
          superior court that has jurisdiction over the eligible 
          building.  The building owner shall be the real party in 
          interest of such an action. 

          VI. Financing.  The bill provides two ways to fund 
          financial assistance to the owners of commercial and 
          residential buildings.

          First, the measure allows CAEATFA to develop a request for 
          proposal to contract with one or more financial 
          institutions to secure a short-term, revolving credit 
          facility (warehouse line of credit) for the purpose of 
          creating an interim financing mechanism for the loans that 





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          would be aggregated for the purposes of issuing a revenue 
          bond.  CAEATFA may draw on the line of credit based on 
          adherence to underwriting criteria and standards of 
          creditworthiness it establishes to fund origination of 
          direct loans to qualified applicants or purchase or acquire 
          secondary market loans from financial institutions.  
          CAEATFA shall develop a request for proposal to contract 
          with an outside program administrator that will work with 
          it and a financial institution to identify the appropriate 
          underwriting criteria, loan processing procedures, loan 
          servicing and monitoring guidelines, and bond financing 
          parameters.  


          Second, the bill allows CAEATFA to incur indebtedness and 
          issue and renew negotiable bonds, notes, debentures, or 
          other securities of any kind or class for the purposes of 
          the program; CAEATFA already allows the issuance of 
          identical instruments for other purposes.  All indebtedness 
          is payable solely from moneys received pursuant to this 
          program and proceeds of negotiable bonds and other 
          instruments, but would be subject to CAEATFA's general cap 
          of $1 billion.  The bill does not specify that maximum 
          amount of debt.

          CAEATFA shall semiannually meet to adopt a resolution to 
          issue bonds to generate sufficient money to fund approved 
          applications in the portfolio or to repay an outstanding 
          balance of a qualified applicant funded by the warehouse 
          line of credit.  CAEATFA may issue bond anticipation notes 
          in advance of selling the bond.  The notes may be renewed 
          from time to time, and may be paid from the proceeds of the 
          sale of the bond.  Notes shall have a maximum maturity of 
          two years.  All notes and bonds shall be general 
          obligations of the authority payable from revenues or 
          moneys received under the program, subject only to 
          agreements with holders of bonds or any other party.  
          CAEATFA can also expressly provide that bonds, notes, and 
          other obligations are not general obligations and not 
          payable from revenues or money payable from revenues under 
          the program.  CAEATFA may also issue refunding bonds 
          according to procedures in the bill.

          CAEATFA may authorize by resolution the issuance of term 
          bonds or serial bonds.  The bonds shall bear the interest 
          rates maturity dates and times, but the measure does not 





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          specify the maximum maturity date.  CAEATFA can direct the 
          Treasurer to sell the bonds within 60 days of receipts of a 
          resolution, although it may extend the period.  The 
          Treasurer may sell bond at public or private sales, at 
          below par value (with a maximum discount of 6% of par), or 
          on any other terms CAEATFA deems fit.  The Treasurer may 
          issue interim receipts, certificates, or temporary bonds 
          that shall be exchanged for definitive bonds.

          The bond resolution may contain provisions that shall be a 
          part of the contract with the bondholders that:
                 Pledge money collected from payments from the 
               portfolio of approved applications funded by the bonds 
               to secure the bonds.
                 Setting aside reserves or sinking funds, and 
               regulate the reserves and sinking funds.
                 Limit the right of CAEATFA to restrict or regulate 
               the use of the project funded by bond proceeds, the 
               purposes that bond proceeds may be used for, or the 
               issuance of future bonds.
                 The procedures to abrogate or amend the contract 
               with bondholders.
                 Limit CAEATFA operating, administrative, or other 
               expenses.
                 Defining acts or omissions that constitute default, 
               and providing remedies and rights to bondholders in a 
               default event.



          The bill additionally provides that: 
                 Neither CAEATFA members nor persons executing bond 
               or note sales are personally liable for the debts, 
                 CAEATFA may purchase its own bonds and notes out of 
               any funds available,
                 CAEATFA may issue bonds secured by a trust 
               agreement between it and a corporate trustee with 
               trust company powers or the Treasurer.  The trust 
               agreement may pledge revenues received under the 
               program, and provide for and enforce the rights of 
               bondholders.  The trust company may provide 
               indemnifying bonds or pledge other securities as 
               CAEATFA requires.  
                 Bonds issued under the program are legal 
               investments for all trust funds, insurance companies, 
               banks, savings and loan associations, investment 





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               companies, state school funds, or local agency 
               investment funds.  The bonds may also be used as 
               securities legally deposited to secure public funds.

          SB 1130 states that bonds issued under the program shall 
          not be deemed to constitute a debt or liability of the 
          state, serve as a pledge of the state's full faith and 
          credit or any authority except CAEATFA, or obligate the 
          state or any political subdivision to make an appropriation 
          to pay the bonds.  This statement must appear on the face 
          of all the bonds.  

          The measure states that bonds issued under this section 
          shall be exempt from state taxation, and additionally 
          directs CAEATFA to apply to the United States Department of 
          the Treasury under the Energy Tax Incentive Act of 2005 to 
          issue tax advantaged bonds under the federal Clean 
          Renewable Energy Bonds program or any other applicable 
          program.

          The bill additionally provides that a local agency that has 
          issued revenue bonds to provide financial assistance to 
          commercial and residential property owners may apply to 
          CAEATFA for participation.  If CAEATFA approves the 
          application from the local government, and issues a bond 
          for the portfolio in which that application is located, it 
          shall purchase all outstanding revenue bonds issued by the 
          local agency.  Upon purchase, CAEATFA succeeds to all 
          rights conferred upon the bondholder by those revenue 
          bonds, and the local agency shall remit revenue necessary 
          to secure the bonds to BOE.

          VII.  CAEATFA.  The measure additionally directs CAEATFA 
          to:
                 Market the program to owners of eligible property, 
               and to encourage owners to obtain the special benefits 
               of completing energy improvements.
                 Establish standards, guidelines, and procedures 
               necessary to ensure the financial stability of the 
               program.
                 Collaborate with the State Energy Resources 
               Conservation and Development Commission to establish 
               qualifications for contractors to construct or install 
               energy efficiency improvements.
                 Borrow funds necessary to meet necessary expenses 
               for initial organization from the State Energy 





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               Resources Conservation and Development Special Account 
               in the General Fund.  CAEATFA must repay the funds 
               with interest within a reasonable time.
                 Contract with any party, public or private, to:
                  o         Monitor the quality of energy efficiency 
                    improvements
                  o         Measure the total energy savings achieved 
                    by the program
                  o         Monitor total number of program 
                    participants
                  o         Determine total amount paid to 
                    contractors
                  o         Calculate the number of jobs created by 
                    the program, the total number of defaults, total 
                    losses from defaults, and the total dollar amount 
                    of bonds issued by the authority.
                  o         Develop a model energy aligned lease 
                    provision that modifies a commercial lease 
                    agreement allowing the owners to recover the 
                    costs of the energy efficiency improvements that 
                    result in operational savings based on the useful 
                    life of the retrofit, upon agreement between the 
                    owner and tenants.  The model energy aligned 
                    lease provision shall protect tenants from the 
                    underperformance of the energy efficiency 
                    retrofits.

          VIII.  Other Provisions.  The bill requires the Bureau of 
          State Audits to perform a performance audit of the program 
          no later than June 30, 2014, and every five years 
          thereafter.  The State Auditor shall prepare a report and 
          recommendations on each audit conducted, and present the 
          report and recommendations to the Speaker of the Assembly 
          and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
          
          The bill defines many of its terms, and makes several 
          legislative findings and declarations.


                               State Revenue Impact
           
          No estimate.


                                     Comments  






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          1.   Purpose of the bill  .  According to the Author, "Senate 
          Bill 1130 represents a win-win situation for California's 
          environment and our economy.   SB 1130 creates the 
          statewide Building Employment Through Energy Retrofitting 
          (BETER) program, providing a market-driven plan that will 
          make energy efficiency upgrades an affordable undertaking 
          for commercial borrowers, while putting our construction 
           labor workforce back to work.  Commercial banks have $2 
          trillion sitting on the side lines nationwide, meanwhile 
          hundreds of thousands of Californians in the construction 
          trade are without jobs.  This bill will help put those 
          out-of-work skilled construction workers back to work, and 
          open the door to expanding the green technology job 
          market."

          2.   Growing up  .   SB 1130 allows CAEATFA to issue revenue 
          bonds and take out short-term lines of credit to fund 
          energy efficiency and renewable power projects, an 
          initiative that has not been previously attempted either in 
          California state government or the private sector.  For 
          many years, CAEATFA was a mostly dormant authority within 
          the State Treasurers' Office, having issued $184 million in 
          conduit bonds between 1984 and 1995.    In 2009, then 
          Governor Schwarzenegger used CAEATFA to assist a joint 
          venture between Tesla and Toyota Motors to purchase the 
          NUMMI assembly plant in Fremont, California where the two 
          companies focus on manufacturing hybrid and electric 
          vehicles, including the TESLA brand, by exempting equipment 
          purchased by Tesla from the sales and use tax.  In 2010, 
          the Legislature authorized CAEATFA to provide eligible 
          projects financial assistance in the form of a sales and 
          use tax  exemption on property used for the "design, 
          manufacture, production, or assembly" of either advanced 
          transportation technologies or alternative energy source 
          products, components or system (SB 71, Padilla).

          However, unlike existing programs, SB 1130 allows the 
          authority to essentially issue structured finance products 
          composed of asset-backed securities in its own name; each 
          approved application will likely be funded out of a 
          short-term line of credit secured by CAEATFA.  The 
          application then goes into a portfolio, which is then sold 
          as a bond to a third-party investor, which repays the 
          short-term line of credit.  By directing CAEATFA to 
          construct and market structured finance products similar to 
          large investments banks, SB 1130 asks a lot of an agency 





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          little used until recently.  For many years, CAEATFA has 
          one employee, and is now up to eight.  While the measure 
          allows CAEATFA to contract for financial expertise and 
          advice, does it have the resources, capacity, and track 
          record to know that the contractor is providing good advice 
          about highly complex, untried transactions?   The Committee 
          may wish to consider whether this expansion of authority is 
          merited, especially when demand is uncertain.

          3.   Blankety blank  .  SB 1130 contains blanks where numbers 
          are needed to ensure program functionality and 
          accountability, limit financial risk, and allow CAEATFA to 
          appropriately understand legislative intent.  Parts of the 
          bill with blanks include:
                 The percentage of the financing costs that is the 
               loan loss reserve fee.
                 The ratio of loan balance to actual value necessary 
               to apply for financial assistance.
                 The number of days after default when the BOE must 
               notice the authority and the applicant with a notice 
               of default, and the number of days the applicant has 
               to cure default.
                 The cap on the amount of total debt CAEATFA may 
               issue under the program. 
                 The maximum years for a bond issued under the 
               program to mature.
          The Committee may wish to consider moving forward a bill 
          that leaves several critical components unresolved.

          4.   Of free markets  .  SB 1130 allows CAEATFA to issue 
          revenue bonds or take out lines of credit to provide 
          financial assistance to building owners who install energy 
          efficiency or renewable power projects.  The owners repay 
          CAEATFA by way of BOE over the useful life of the 
          improvement, and CAEATFA then repays its bondholders or 
          credit issuers with those repayments.  While some private 
          market securitization of solar energy projects exists, most 
          demand has been spurred by federal tax credits.  So farm 
          neither the public nor the private sector has yet to assert 
          itself in this market at the scale contemplated by this 
          bill, and future demand for these improvements is highly 
          uncertain.   Generally, the private sector can better price 
          risk than the public sector.  Given the relative youth of 
          the market for energy efficiency and renewable power 
          improvements, the unique structure of this program, and the 
          challenge facing CAEATFA to implement the program discussed 





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          above, is this measure a premature venture that doesn't 
          adequately consider the risks? The Legislature may wish to 
          consider deferring action on this bill until the private 
          sector develops a sustainable model for the long-term 
          financing of these kinds of improvements.  

          5.    Sons of PACE  ?  The Property Assessed Clean Energy Bond 
          Program (PACE) allows municipalities to accelerate the 
          retrofitting of residential and commercial buildings with 
          renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements.  Local 
          agencies issue bonds, then loan the proceeds to property 
          owners to finance energy retrofits, who then repay their 
          loans over 20 years via an annual assessment on their 
          property tax bill.  However, given declining property 
          values, lienholders are reluctant to allow additional debt 
          secured by the property, fearing they will be paid less 
          upon sale or foreclosure of the property because property 
          tax liens are superior to other debt.  In July, 2010, the 
          Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the Federal 
          National Mortgage Association or "Fannie Mae," and the 
          Federal Loan Mortgage Corporation or Freddie Mac, stopped 
          consenting to purchase loans with PACE loans, thereby 
          severely restricting PACE for properties with mortgages 
          they own or securitized.  SB 1130 seeks to fill the gap 
          left by FHFA's decision to resist new PACE loans; however, 
          it is not the only effort to revive PACE.  The California 
          Public Utilities Commission in a proposed decision issued 
          on March 20, 2012 is considering implementing an on-bill 
          financing program, essentially charging investor-owned 
          utility customers a separate line item on a bill, to 
          finance PACE projects.  The Committee may wish to consider 
          whether PACE truly needs to be resuscitated, and whether 
          this model is superior to the CPUC's ideas.

          6.    Getting closure  .  The PACE program provided creditors 
          security that they would be repaid because property tax 
          liens are always senior; if the house is sold in 
          foreclosure or a tax sale, these creditors were paid while 
          subsequent lienholders may suffer losses.  The lien order 
          led to FHFA's decision not to purchase loans with PACE 
          loans.  SB 1130's solution is different.  Instead of 
          priority lien status, the energy remittance repayment 
          agreement adheres to the traditional "first in line, first 
          by right" ordering, meaning that liens recorded before the 
          SB 1130 lien must be satisfied first, and liens recorded 
          after aren't paid until the SB 1130 is satisfied.  However, 





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          the bill directs county tax collectors to foreclose at the 
          direction of BOE or CAEATFA according to law governing 
          sales for delinquent property taxes, which is problematic 
          for several reasons: first, a property could be current on 
          its mortgage and property taxes, yet the bill requires 
          foreclosure when an applicant is delinquent in repaying the 
          energy agreement.  Second, tax collectors must acquire the 
          consent of its board of supervisors to sell a property in 
          tax sale, which may not be forthcoming, especially if the 
          property is current on its property taxes.  Third, SB 1130 
          provides an allocation of tax sale proceeds that conflicts 
          with existing tax sale law.  Lastly, even if these 
          conflicts are resolved, requiring tax collectors to perform 
          this function would likely be a reimbursable state mandated 
          local program.  Suggested amendments below would strike the 
          involvement of the tax collector, but without the ability 
          to compel payment through foreclosure, thereby diminishing 
          the solidity of the revenue stream, and placing additional 
          risk on prospective bondholders, who would likely demand a 
          higher interest rate, raising the cost of borrowing for 
          CAEATFA.  

          7.    Suggested Substantive Amendments  .  Committee Staff 
          recommends the following substantive amendments:
                 Develop a process for CAEATFA to calculate loan 
               loss reserve requirements, loan loss reserve fee, and 
               interest rate (page 9, after line 4).
                 Provide standards for acceptable commercial 
               property appraisals from applicants (page 9, line 33).
                 Lower the acceptable ratio of liens to appraised 
               value from 85% to 65% (page 10, line 20).
                 Strike the requirement for contractors to obtain 
               securities (page 10, line 23)
                 Limit forms of security solely to energy savings 
               insurance (page 10, lines 32 to 34).
                 Provide a single monthly due date for payment, and 
               require electronic payment of agreement amounts. (page 
               10, line 32)
                 Remove BOE as an agent that may foreclose. (page 
               11, line 15)
                 Delete direction to tax collectors to foreclose and 
               direction of tax sale proceeds. (page 11, lines 26 
               through 33)
                 Delete Sections 26226 that limits judicial remedies 
               that lienholders would enjoy but for the sections, and 
               renumber subsequent sections (page 13, lines 32 





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               through 38, and page 14, lines 1 through 3).
                 Delete requirement for CAEATFA to purchase all 
               conforming bonds from a local agency if it approves 
               the local agency application by striking "shall," and 
               inserting "may," and striking "all." (page 14, line 
               30)
                 Apply general fund protections currently in the 
               bill applying to bonds to the short-term revolving 
               line of credit (warehouse line) of by inserting 
               "Credit issued under the provisions of this division 
               shall not be deemed to constitute a debt or liability 
               of the state or of any political subdivision thereof, 
               other than the authority, or a pledge of the faith and 
               credit of the state or of any such political 
               subdivision, other than the authority, but shall be 
               payable solely from the funds provided therefor.  All 
               such credit instruments shall contain a statement to 
               the following effect:  'Neither the faith and credit 
               nor the taxing power of the State of California is 
               pledged to the payment of principal and interest on 
               this credit instrument.'"(page 15, line 39, after 
               "26242").
                 Delete authority for CAEATFA to use short-term 
               revolving line of credit to purchase loans on the 
               secondary market (page 16, strike lines 4 and 5).
                 Additionally clarify general fund protections on 
               page 17 by striking line 13, on line 14, striking 
               "authority," on line 16, after "division," striking 
               "subject only to any," strike lines 17 and 18, and on 
               line 19, striking "to any agreements with the 
               participating party."
                 Delete ability for CAEATFA to require Treasurer to 
               sell bonds within 60 days by striking on line 35, "the 
               bonds or notes shall be sold within" strike lines 36 
               through 38, inclusive.
                 Allow CAEATFA and BOE to issue regulations to 
               implement the program.  (End of Bill)
                 Delete the ability of CAEATFA to modify previously 
               granted applications (several places)

          8.    Suggested Technical Amendments  .  Committee Staff 
          recommends the following technical amendments:
                 Clarity:
                  o         On Page 6, line 28, strike "actual," and 
                    insert "appraised."
                  o         On Page 8, line 15, strike "on terms such 





          SB 1130 (deLeón) -- 2/21/11 -- Page 16



                    that," and insert "when."
                  o         On Page 10, line 1, before "information," 
                    insert "any."
                  o         On Page 10, line 1, make proposed 26219 
                    subdivision (k) of 26218, and renumber 26219.5 as 
                    26219.
                  o         On Page 10, Line 16, before ""The costs," 
                    insert "the Authority may provide financial 
                    assistance only for those applications that meet 
                    all of the following conditions," on lines 17, 
                    20, and 23, strike "shall," and on lines 17 and 
                    20 insert "do."
                  o         On Page 10, line 17, strike "estimated," 
                    and insert "appraised."
                  o         On Page 11, line 9, strike "be consistent 
                    with" and insert "calculated using."
                  o         On Page 12, line 36, strike "all of the 
                    following," and insert "the creditworthiness of 
                    the applicant and the effectiveness of the energy 
                    efficiency or renewable power project applying 
                    the following criteria, including, but not 
                    limited to:"
                 Consolidate terms: 
                  o         Use "retrofit or improvement" wherever 
                    either word is used on its own.
                  o         Insert "renewable energy or" before any 
                    mention of energy efficiency, and vice versa.
                  o         Substitute "renewable energy" for 
                    "alternative energy," wherever it appears.
                  o         Substitute references to "liens on the 
                    building," to "liens on the property."



                         Support and Opposition  (4/5/12)

           Support  :  State Controller John Chiang (Sponsor).

           Opposition  :  Construction Employers' Association (Unless 
          Amended)