The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Center for Impact Finance at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire gathered solar industry stakeholders, project developers, and members of the financial sector in a virtual discussion to identify how community financial institutions, such as credit unions, community banks and Community Development Financial Institutions can finance solar installations in low-income communities and communities of color.
The plenary session, a culmination of previous working sessions, identified capital needs across low-income solar finance; identified policy barriers to scaling low-income solar development across project types and business models; engaged a broad group of stakeholders in solar development, community development finance, philanthropy, mainstream finance, and climate and energy policy to attract interest and support for efforts to scale low-income solar finance.
May 19, 2021
1:00pm EDT – 3:00pm EDT
The event was open to the public and the media. All remarks were on-the-record and the event was recorded.
| 1:00pm | Welcoming Remarks Claire Kramer Mills, Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Michael Ettlinger, Director, Carsey School of Public Policy at University of New Hampshire Michael Swack, Director, Center for Impact Finance, Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire |
| 1:05pm | Setting the Stage Shalanda H. Baker, Deputy Director for Energy Justice & Secretary’s Advisor on Equity, Department of Energy |
| 1:15pm | Ecosystem-level Solutions Bryan Garcia, President and CEO, Connecticut Green Bank Jeff Schub, Executive Director, Coalition for Green Capital Trenton Allen, Managing Director and CEO, Sustainable Capital Advisors Lisa Mensah, President and CEO, Opportunity Finance Network Cathie Mahon, President and CEO, Inclusiv Moderator: Andrea Levere, President Emerita, Prosperity Now |
| 2:00pm | Response Panel by Funders John Balbach, Director of Impact Investments, MacArthur Foundation Marilyn Waite, Program Officer in Environment, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Jahi Wise, Senior Advisor, Domestic Climate Policy Office, White House Jodie Harris, Director of CDFI Fund, U.S. Department of the Treasury Moderator: Andrea Levere, President Emerita, Prosperity Now |
| 2:50pm | Closing Remarks Michael Swack, Director, Center for Impact Finance at Carsey School of Public Policy at University of New Hampshire David J. Erickson, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York |
