By Suzanne Hodgson
Staff Writer

A revolving low-interest loan fund may be set up in Kennebunk that would allow homeowners to borrow money for energy-efficiency improvements.
Recycling, wind power and energy efficient appliances are all available to the public, but the big question to many energy conscious groups is why aren’t people going “green.”
Cost is a big factor, according to a presentation by the Kennebunk Energy Efficiency Committee to  Selectmen Jan 19.
Committee Chairman Sassy Smallman outlined three primary reasons homeowners aren’t more energy efficient: They aren’t aware of savings potential, have problems funding  upfront costs and they have trouble finding contractors to do work for energy efficient improvements.
The committee suggested the town become involved in Property Assessed Clean Energy Districts, commonly referred to as PACE.
PACE, under Efficiency Maine Trust, is waiting on a $75 million federal stimulus grant that would be awarded to municipalities to set up revolving loan funds to homeowners who want to upgrade to more efficient energy use.
As a precautionary measure, if the grant doesn’t come through for PACE, Smallman said a bond, special taxes or fees and other grants could be used by the town to enact the PACE program.
The revolving loan fund, called the Maine Home Performance Fund, would be available to any town that has signed on to the PACE program that has worked with the Maine Home Performance Fund to receive energy retrofits. In addition the town must have a plan in place for community outreach.
“Maine residents have high energy bills and weatherization can reduce them significantly,”  Smallman said.
Maine has some of the oldest houses in the country and the average Maine home uses 900 gallons of oil per year, the most oil consumed by any other state, which Smallman said is based on facts from the Department of Energy.
Smallman said building codes will soon include energy efficient mandates.
Jay Kilbourn, a member of the Energy Efficiency Committee said he had been able to borrow $10,000 from his bank in order to upgrade his 1890 farmhouse. The savings on his oil bill helped him pay back his loan.
“It was reduced about 500 gallons in the first year. In five years [the loan was] paid back,” Kilbourn said.
Town Manager Barry Tibbetts suggested if the town agreed to sign on to the PACE program, contracting with a bank or local financial firm could offset the burden of tracking the money and residential eligibility, but the loan would be generate by the town and paid back over 20 years.
Selectmen had many questions on how the cost of PACE would affect taxpayers.
“Where does the money come from?” asked Selectman Al Searles.
The committee explained that PACE was still only a concept and the final questions would be answered once the fund is established.
PACE is part of a bill to reduce energy cost for Maine residents.
“The whole idea of the PACE program seems pretty novel,” Tibbetts said. “I don’t think it’s going to cost tax payers, it only affects residents that get into the program. It’s a win-win.”
Energy Efficiency Committee member Jennifer Niese went over a list of other recommended energy efficiency improvements the town could implement.
Included in that list was a recommendation to use a maximum of $2,500 from the contingency fund to the to use for winterization efforts.
Niese said students at the New School were already in the process of inexpensively winterizing homes in the area with plastic wrap, caulking and other small improvements.
The board was scheduled to discuss the committee’s requests at the Jan. 26 selectmen’s meeting, after The Post’s deadline.

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.