24 V.S.A. § 3275: Commercial property-assessed clean energy districts; approval of legislative body

(a) The legislative body of a town, city, or incorporated village may vote to designate the municipality as a commercial property-assessed clean energy district or C-PACE district. In a district, only those property owners who have entered into written agreements with the municipality under section 3276 of this title would be subject to a special assessment, as set forth in section 3255 of this title.

(b) Upon a vote of approval by a majority of the legislative body of the municipality voting at a duly warned meeting, the municipality shall allow for the imposition of a special assessment to secure private financing for property owners of commercial or industrial buildings within the boundaries of the municipality for renewable energy projects as defined in 30 V.S.A. § 8002(17), energy efficiency projects as defined by section 3267 of this title, water conservation projects, and resiliency improvement projects.

(c) As used in this subchapter:

(1) “Commercial or industrial building” means any building other than a residential dwelling with fewer than five units.

(2) “District” means a commercial property-assessed clean energy district, which includes the entire municipality.

(3) “Resilience” means the ability of interconnected ecological, social, physical, and economic systems to anticipate, adapt, withstand, respond, and thrive in the face of current and future conditions and disasters.

(4) “Resiliency improvement” means improvements that increase the resilience of a property, including air quality and stormwater infrastructure improvements, snow and flood mitigation, energy storage and microgrids, alternative vehicle charging infrastructure, and fire and wind resistance.

(5) “Water conservation improvement” means measures, equipment, or devices that decrease the consumption of or demand for water, address safe drinking water, or eliminate lead from water used for drinking or cooking.