Texas — C-PACE background, administrators, local rules and projects

History and governing framework

• 2013: SB 385 created the Property Assessed Clean Energy Act, Texas Local Government Code Chapter 399. Counties and municipalities can establish regions and voluntary contractual assessments; the act itself did not open an operating program everywhere. Enrolled act
• March 24, 2015: Travis County adopted the first Texas program. Its first-project public announcement occurred February 24, 2016—different milestones. TPA Travis County program, county program/history page
• 2015 onward: Texas PACE Authority (TPA), a nonprofit administrator, developed the local-government implementation network around the PACE in a Box model. The State Energy Conservation Office's guidance describes local choices of in-house, regional or third-party administration; the state is not the universal transaction administrator. SECO implementation guide
• 2017 onward: Lone Star PACE (LSP), founded in 2017, administers additional local programs. Its current website identifies Lee McCormick as president and Glenn Silva as COO, both program administrators. LSP organization
• January 2026 leadership update: Dub Taylor became TPA CEO. Charlene Heydinger retired from operating leadership and remains board president. A directory still calling her TPA's current operating president is outdated. TPA board announcement

Current responsibility and geography

Sources: TPA organization, LSP resources, Texas PACE Standards Alliance resources linking both administrators.

The accompanying TX-service-areas.csv transcribes both administrators' live city/county rosters as checked October 28, 2026. It is a discovery index, not a parcel eligibility certificate: overlapping county/city entries and administrators must not be double-counted as statewide coverage. For example, TPA lists the City of Houston, while LSP lists Harris County; those are distinct program authorities. TPA roster, LSP roster

Concrete local adoption examples

Eligibility, assessment and process

TPA identifies commercial, industrial/agricultural, nonprofit and multifamily five-plus-unit property. Improvements must be permanently fixed and reduce water or energy consumption/demand; behind-the-meter generation/thermal equipment can qualify. Government property is generally excluded; privately owned ground leases can be eligible under conditions. Undeveloped lots are excluded at assessment; new construction is not synonymous with an undeveloped-lot assessment—obtain the local administrator's timing determination. TPA eligibility

The statutory framework requires notice to existing mortgagees at least 30 days before the owner/local-government contract and written mortgagee consent. Assessment notice is recorded against the property. The act provides ad-valorem-tax-like priority and enforcement; the lien survives transfer. A financing decision should use the currently operative statute and local contracts, not treat this summary as a title opinion. 2013 act §§399.010, .013–.014

Important implementation details: LSP's February 2025 guide places routine billing with the capital provider directly, rather than automatically as a line on every county tax bill. Its process includes application, mortgage consent, energy/water analysis, independent engineering review, local documents/recording, construction disbursement and completion verification. Local contractual subordination to property taxes can differ. LSP guide

Keeping PACE in Texas's underwriting guidance explains that enforcement concerns delinquent installments; future installments do not accelerate and remain secured on the property. Do not represent the entire remaining principal as immediately payable on any default. 2025 underwriting standards

Local applicability, code, hazard and resilience

Financing eligibility, hazard exposure, permitting and insurance certification are separate checks. Harris County's program page mentions resilience and TPA's project list records flood-prevention measures at Westin Houston Medical Center, but neither proves every flood or wind measure is universally eligible. Classify the actual measure under the local program and technical standards first. Harris program, TPA transaction list

LSP's guide uses state or locally adopted code, whichever is more stringent, for new-construction/redevelopment baseline analysis. It describes a 5% above-code pathway for incremental savings-to-investment analysis, while its summary table says 5–10%. Resolve the applicable threshold and calculation with the actual local program rather than advertise one statewide percentage. The same guide permits certain recapitalizations within 24 months; that does not waive technical review or consent. LSP guide, printed pp.16–17 and 24

Concrete coastal distinction: TDI says that from April 1, 2026, windstorm certificate applications must use the 2024 IRC or IBC for TWIA eligibility. The designated coastal areas do not cover all Texas; in Harris County, eligibility depends on being east of Highway 146 and within the specified city boundaries. Wind speed and windborne-debris requirements are location-dependent. This is a windstorm-insurance certification rule, not proof of C-PACE eligibility or a substitute for local permits. TDI current adopted codes, TDI designated-area maps

For any proposed parcel, record the permitting authority, adopted building/energy code edition and amendments, floodplain/coastal/historic overlays, engineering baseline, required inspections, and any TDI/TWIA certification separately. Those parcel-specific approvals have not been established in this statewide brief.

Known projects and precisely supported status

Next steps and exact gaps

1. Use the service-area index to identify candidate programs, then obtain current signed local resolution, program report, appointment, technical standards and closing forms. County and city overlap requires a choice/verification, not duplicate assessments by assumption.
2. Texas's official statute HTML/PDF chapter endpoints returned a generic site shell in this research environment. The 2013 enacted act and current program guidance are verified, but a consolidated current Chapter 399 amendment check remains open before legal reliance.
3. Resolve code baseline, resilience measure eligibility, developed-lot timing, current fees and mortgage consent with the specific jurisdiction; published marketing terms are not an approved offer.
4. Confirm remaining Meuse tranche funding, Maranello amount/date discrepancy and actual completion evidence for recent projects.
5. Do not confuse LSP's homepage “projects facilitated” total with assessment principal, or combine administrator portfolios without overlap/date controls. No statewide cumulative investment claim is made here.

This is research, not a financing commitment or legal/engineering certification.

Continue your project research

Compare the national C-PACE financing structure; Organize state and local project requirements; Prepare a commercial-building improvement scope. This page provides guidance only; it does not accept an application or submit information to a provider.