Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) Program
Administered by National Energy Improvement Fund
The MORE Program is for Pennsylvania local governments, not individual homeowners. If you work for a county, city, borough, township, or municipal authority that did not receive a federal Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant, you may qualify to borrow at least $5,000 at below-market interest rates for up to 7 years to fund energy efficiency upgrades, building retrofits, or paired renewable energy projects—but you must first obtain an ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Audit and Energy Conservation Measure project design.
Contractors can support eligible Pennsylvania local government clients seeking below-market financing for energy efficiency and renewable projects through the MORE Loan program administered by the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF). Borrowers must provide a Level 2 commercial energy audit and detailed Energy Conservation Measure project design before applying; qualifying work includes efficiency upgrades, building retrofits, and on-site renewable generation paired with efficiency measures. Minimum loan size is $5,000 with repayment terms up to 7 years or the project's useful life, and clients should contact NEIF directly to discuss interest rate options and the application process.
The MORE Loan is a revolving loan fund administered by NEIF for Pennsylvania local governments (counties, cities, boroughs, townships, municipalities, and municipal authorities) excluded from federal EECBG funding, offering loans of $5,000 or more at below-market rates with terms up to 7 years or project life. Applicants must obtain ASHRAE Level 2 audits and ECM designs at their own cost and secure Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development approval under the Local Government Unit Debt Act before loan closing. The program launched in December 2024 with no closing date as long as funds remain available; program inquiries should be directed to Alayna Schmeider at aschmeider@pa.gov or 717-783-0908.
Program details
- Program ID
- 22777
- Last updated
- 8/6/2025
Eligibility
- Sectors
- local government
- Technologies
- custom/others pending approval
Incentive amount
$3 million in government grants with NEIF matching with private capital at a rate of 3:1
Program summary
In FY 2023-2024, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) launched the Energy Accelerator Program (EAP), a green bank for Pennsylvania. PEDA has contracted with the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF) to launch the first two financing products under the EAP in spring of 2024, including the Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) Program.
PEDA’s MORE Program is a financing program to support local governments to cost-effectively deploy energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The MORE Program consists of both a MORE Grant and a MORE Loan. Together, they provide local governments the opportunity to achieve effective energy efficiency upgrades and reduce energy costs
Eligible applicants for the MORE program are Pennsylvania local governments that were not eligible for an Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) from the DOE. Eligible local government entities include counties, cities, boroughs, towns, townships, and municipal authorities.
The MORE program included grants, which have now been closed for application.
The MORE loan is a revolving loan fund to help local governments execute energy efficiency projects. The loans must be at least $5,000 and can have repayment terms of up to 15 years or the end of a project's useful life. The MORE loan offers below-market interest rates (which could have been bought down with the now closed MORE grant).
As a part of loan application preparation, applicants must have (and cover the costs of) an ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Audit and an Energy Conservation Measures project design.
Qualifying measures include:
- Energy efficiency upgrades
- Building retrofits
- On-site renewable energy generation projects (must be paired with energy efficiency measures to qualify)
MORE loans have no closing date and will be open for applicants as long as funds are available.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to NEIF to discuss the process and interest rate options.
Contact & resources
- Contact email
- aschmeider@pa.gov
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
