March 26, 2026 – The Lebanon City Council voted unanimously to establish a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C-PACER) district, making Lebanon the first city in New Hampshire to adopt the program and the most recent municipality to do so.
“Lebanon is proud to be the first city in New Hampshire to establish a C-PACER district,” said Lebanon City Manager Andrew Hosmer. “The City Council’s unanimous vote reflects our commitment to supporting economic development, improving building performance, and expanding access to innovative financing tools that benefit both property owners and the broader community.”
Voters in the Towns of Bristol and Rye also approved the adoption of C-PACER districts on Town Meeting Day. C-PACER is a voluntary financing option that enables commercial property owners to invest in the profitability and comfort of their buildings and helps finance the construction of new commercial properties when approved by the municipality.
The program is administered statewide by the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority, which provides a streamlined framework that reduces administrative burdens on municipalities while maintaining local control, and operates at no cost to taxpayers.
“The adoption of C-PACER in these communities is an exciting step forward for New Hampshire,” said James Key-Wallace, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority. “This program gives commercial property owners a powerful tool to invest while bringing private capital into local communities. We’re encouraged to see communities taking advantage of this opportunity.”
“I’m excited about offering this new financing product for commercial businesses in our town to facilitate new projects,” stated Paul Bemis, Chair of the Bristol Energy Committee.
“As one of the first communities in New Hampshire to vote in favor of adopting C-PACER, Rye is taking an important step,” said Rye Town Administrator Matthew Scruton. “The Town of Rye Energy Committee deserves significant credit for its leadership and dedication in advancing this initiative and helping bring it to this point. I also want to thank the Select Board for its support and the community for embracing this initiative. This program creates an additional financing option for commercial property owners in Rye at no cost to the taxpayers. We hope Rye’s adoption of C-PACER encourages other communities in New Hampshire to consider it as well.”
Through C-PACER, commercial property owners—including manufacturers, office buildings, retail properties, and multifamily housing—can access private-sector financing for improvements that increase the profitability and energy efficiency of their buildings. C-PACER can also be used to finance new construction for projects that have received municipal approvals and permits. The program relies entirely on private capital and uses no taxpayer funds.
About the NHBFA
The Business Finance Authority (BFA) is a self-funding organization that fosters economic development and creates employment in New Hampshire. The BFA accomplishes these objectives by working with New Hampshire’s banking, business, and economic development sectors to develop and implement programs which expand the availability of credit in the state. Our customers include manufacturers, small and medium-sized businesses, health providers, and non-profit educational and cultural organizations. To learn more about the BFA and its programs, please click here.
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