Tell your state leaders to empower a public-developer green bank!

The Connecticut Green Bank, created in 2011, was the first state-level green bank in America. Since then, 16 states and the District of Columbia have created green banks to accelerate clean energy projects, offering loans, stimulating private capital to join, and making back their initial investment!

The Connecticut Green Bank has also forged a unique new role as a public direct developer of solar power for schools, city government buildings, and low-income multifamily housing, reducing electricity bills at scale by becoming directly involved with rooftop solar logistics and administration as well as financing. Their Solar Marketplace Assistance Program Plus (Solar MAP+) initiative has so far built nearly 54 megawatts of new rooftop solar capacity across Connecticut, set to save a collective $57 million in energy costs! The Green Bank developed 27% of all school solar installations in Connecticut from 2015 to 2023.

“[State agencies] needed help with documentation structures, with procurement, with project labor agreements…

We put that together, and projects started happening. Then we realized we built this Swiss Army knife of tools that we could bring to bear in other sectors where there were gaps in solar deployment.”

— Mackey Dykes, Connecticut Green Bank executive vice president

In addition to financing on friendly terms, state green bank expertise and experience can “de-risk” rooftop solar for entities like schools that might not otherwise have the time or capability to take on such a project themselves. The Connecticut model of a Green Bank working as a public developer of rooftop solar is a great idea for other states to build energy abundance and community resilience!

Tell your state leaders to empower a public-developer green bank!