HB 7208 - Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program

• Establishes a Commercial Sustainable Energy Program administered by the Connecticut Green Bank to finance energy improvements for commercial and industrial properties through benefit assessments.

• Expands the definition of "energy improvements" to include district heating and cooling systems, microgrids with clean energy, energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy systems, and solar thermal or geothermal systems.

• Allows the bank or third-party capital providers to offer financing for energy improvements, with participating municipalities levying and collecting benefit assessments on qualifying properties, which are secured by liens recorded on property records.

• Requires property owners to receive energy audits or feasibility analyses before financing approval and mandates 30-day notice to existing mortgage holders before recording benefit assessment liens.

• Permits benefit assessment liens to be collected like property taxes, foreclosed for non-payment, assigned to other entities for collection, and granted precedence over other liens except municipal property tax liens (subject to existing mortgage holder consent).