SANBAG’s Duane Baker Wins Red Tape to Red Carpet Award for HERO Program

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Renovate America

Mar 03, 2014, 08:00 ET


San Bernardino, CA (PRWEB) March 03, 2014 -- Duane Baker, Director of Management Services for San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), has been awarded the Inland Empire Economic Partnership’s inaugural Red Tape to Red Carpet Award. The award recognizes his role in bringing the HERO Program to San Bernardino County. HERO is a local government-sponsored program that enables property owners to make their homes more energy- and water-efficient by providing them with low-cost, tax-deductible financing for a range of home improvements.

Since the program was launched in San Bernardino County at the end of last year, more than $80 million in projects has been approved, and $25 million in financing has already been distributed. The economic stimulus created through HERO has led contractors to hire by the dozens; more than 275 new jobs have been created.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for SANBAG’s role in helping county residents to cut down on wasted energy and water,” said Baker. “The HERO Program is putting our residents to work, helping to clean our air, and reducing people’s energy bills.”

The HERO Program enables property owners to pay for permanently-affixed energy- and water-efficient upgrades and renewable energy systems over time through their property taxes. More than 150,000 types of improvements are eligible for HERO financing, including whole-home heating and cooling (HVAC), solar power, energy-saving windows, solar thermal (pools and water heating), and insulation.

The HERO program has been adopted by more than 120 cities throughout California and has financed more than $200 million in the Inland Empire alone over the last two years.

For more information, please call Jane Dreher at SANBAG, (909) 884-8276 or JDreher(at)sanbag(dot)ca(dot)gov.

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ABOUT SANBAG: San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) is the Council of Governments and Transportation Agency for San Bernardino County, representing 24 cities in the county and all five county supervisorial district.

ABOUT HERO: The HERO Program is the most successful public-private sector partnership of its type in the country. The program has helped more than 5,500 homeowners make energy efficient upgrades by providing them access to more than $100 million in financing. While the program is a win for homeowners, it has also helped create more than 1,600 jobs and generate more than $350 million in economic stimulus. For more information see http://www.heroprogram.com.

Sev Williams, Renovate America, https://www.heroprogram.com, +1 (510) 336-9566, [email protected]