Financial Options

Sometimes an energy project requires too much capital or has a return on investment beyond an organization's acceptable period. There are many programs that can assistant with energy loans and grants available through DEP, other Commonwealth agencies, and DEP partners.

By leveraging US Department of Energy funds and through a collaborative contract, the DEP has been able to support low-interest loan financing for energy efficiency retrofits and the installation of energy conservation measures and high-performance energy systems in buildings throughout Pennsylvania. This financial tool, the Green Energy Loan Fund (GELF), is managed on behalf of the Commonwealth by the Reinvestment Fund (RF). As a revolving loan fund, GELF has lent over $17 million to projects across Pennsylvania.

DEP's own Small Business Ombudsman's Office has a revolving loan available for energy and pollution prevention projects. Typically, the Office also opens their Small Business Advantage Grant program late summer; this program offers matching grants to install energy and pollution saving equipment in small businesses.

The Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) is an independent public financing authority that was created in 1982 by the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and Emergency Powers Act and was revitalized through an April 8, 2004, Executive Order. PEDA's mission is to finance clean, advanced energy projects in Pennsylvania.

Through Act 129, Pennsylvania’s flagship energy efficiency law, the commonwealth has saved over 8.8 million megawatt hours of electricity usage since 2009 resulting in $6.4 billion in savings to Pennsylvania electric customers, while employing over 65,000 people in the field. To find out more information about energy efficiency programs that may be eligible to you from your electric company, click here. There are other programs that open through the Commonwealth Financing Authority, the US DOE and USDA, and others. If you are looking for financial incentives for energy projects in Pennsylvania take a look at our publication: Financial Incentives