Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) Loan Program
As low as 0% interest commercial financing for Pennsylvania municipalities
Special Financing for Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Pennsylvania Municipalities
Pennsylvania municipalities can Go Greener, Affordably with the MORE Loan Program, providing as low as 0% interest financing for qualifying energy efficiency measures.
The MORE Loan is supported by the Energy Accelerator Program (EAP) under the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA).
Lending is administered by the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF), a Pennsylvania-based B Corporation, certified to meet the highest standards of compliance and fair lending.
Questions? Contact NEIF at commercialfinance@neifund.org or call (720) 724-7673.
Steps For Municipal Financing
1. Apply for the MORE Grant Offered by PEDA
Apply for the MORE Grant to receive up to $50,000 to cover costs related to your MORE Loan application preparation, including an ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Audit, Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) project design and MORE Loan application development, and interest rate buydown to give you access to funds for as low as a 0% loan.
2. Complete Energy Audit
After receiving the grant approval, work with your contractor to have your energy audit completed.
3. Finalize ECM Project Design/Scope of Work
Work with your contractor and/or a contracted party to finalize your ECM project design/scope of work based on the audit results.
4. Confirm Your Interest Rate Buydown
Contact your PEDA project advisor to confirm the amount of grant funds you have available to buy down the interest rate on your MORE Loan.
5. Apply for MORE Loan
Click here to apply through NEIF for the MORE Loan.
6. Begin Work
After getting approval for the loan, sign closing documents and begin work.
Who is Eligible?
- Municipal entities in the state of Pennsylvania who did not receive an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) award directly from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)* including:
- Counties
- Cities
- Boroughs
- Towns
- Townships
- Municipal Authorities
*A full list of EECBG awardees can be found here.
What Improvements Qualify?
- All projects must improve energy efficiency.
- Renewable energy is allowed if accompanied by energy efficiency measures.
- Terms available up to 15 years or the end of a project’s useful life.
Local Government Unit Debt Act Approval
The borrower must provide NEIF with a copy of the proceedings submitted to, as well as the approval from, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (“DCED”) stating that the debt to be incurred by the borrower, or by any local government unit guaranteeing its debt, in connection with the project funding is approved under the Local Government Unit Debt Act (“LGUDA”), 53 Pa.C.S. § 8001 et seq. The loan cannot be closed without prior approval by DCED. More information about the LGUDA approval requirements and process can be found on DCED’s website at http://dced.pa.gov/local-government-unit-debt-act-lguda and questions should be directed to DCED at RA-DCLGUDA@pa.gov or (717) 783-8452.
Steps for Contractors
1. Register as a NEIF-Approved Contractor
If you are not already a NEIF-Approved Contractor, apply here!
2. Propose and Close on 0% Projects
Use the NEIF Commercial Finance Portal to propose and close more projects and bigger projects with simple monthly payment solutions.
