2026 Puget Sound CPACER Symposium
2026 Puget Sound C-PACER Symposium
The 2026 Puget Sound C-PACER Symposium will bring together professionals from across Washington's commercial real estate, lending, clean energy, and local government sectors for a day focused on strengthening and expanding the market for Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resilience (C-PACER) financing.
Hosted by the King County Climate Team, the symposium will provide an opportunity to learn from C-PACER activity in Washington and across the country, discuss opportunities and challenges facing the market, and build stronger connections among the organizations needed to move projects from concept to financing and implementation.
Whether you are already working with C-PACER or are interested in understanding how it could support your projects, clients, or organization, the symposium is designed to provide practical insights, new connections, and opportunities for collaboration.
Who Should Attend
The symposium is intended for professionals who currently work with C-PACER as well as those interested in learning how it can support commercial building projects, including:
Building owners, developers, and property managers interested in financing energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, and resiliency improvements
Banks, credit unions, C-PACER capital providers, and other lenders interested in financing projects or understanding how C-PACER interacts with traditional commercial lending
Commercial real estate and finance professionals, including mortgage lenders, brokers, and advisors
Contractors, engineers, project certifiers, and energy service providers who help identify, design, and deliver eligible projects
C-PACER program administrators and local government partners interested in program implementation, market development, and regional coordination
Clean energy finance, economic development, and policy professionals working to expand investment in Washington's building stock
Symposium Agenda
9:00a – Registration and Networking
9:30a– Welcome, C-PACER Fundamentals & National C-PACER Perspective
Opening remarks, Washington’s C-PACER landscape, and a shared foundation for the day.
PACE Nation will present lessons from established C-PACER markets and emerging approaches from across the country.
Panels: Understanding the Market
Moderated by Eli Liberman, Executive Director of Washington Builds
10a - Panel: C-PACER and the First Mortgage Lender
Understanding the risk, value, and opportunity of incorporating C-PACER into commercial real estate financing.
Panelist:
Peter Grabell, Managing Director, Head of Production, Pace Loan Group
Katerina Kuznetsova, Senior Vice President, Capital Markets, Heritage Bank
Mackinley Robinson, Senior Director, Mortgage Banking, Berkadia
Don Schulz, Managing Director Pacific NW/Mountain West, Pace Equity
11a - Panel: Building the C-PACER Market
A conversation about growing awareness, expanding participation, and building a stronger project pipeline.
Panelist:
Rachel Davis, Managing Director of Originations and C-PACE Program Manager, Counterpointe SRE
Perry England, Vice President, Building Performance, MacDonald-Miller
Grant Keeney, Senior Vice President of Transactions, FASTPACE
Michael Kledzik, Associate Engineer, FSI Engineers
12p – Lunch and Networking
12:45/1p - Interactive Roundtable Discussions on C-PACER in practice
Table 1: From Need to Financing to Construction: Getting Building Projects Done
Table 2: Building the C-PACER Capital Stack: From Opportunity to Financing
Table 3: From C-PACER Opportunity to Closing: Navigating the C-PACER Process
Table Leads:
Aidan McLauglin, Director, West Coast, Originations, Nuveen Green Capital
Nicole Ballinger, BEPS Program Manager, City of Seattle
Amanda Hertzfeld, Unreinforced Masonry Program Manager, City of Seattle
Eurydice Pentz, Frm. CPACER Administrator, Pierce County WA
Matthew Bell & Molly Beeman, CPACER Administrators, Snohomish County
1:45/2:00p - Closing Recap
Key takeaways, opportunities for collaboration, and actions to strengthen the C-PACER market in Washington.
If you are travelling to Seattle for the Symposium and require hotel accommodations, below are properties near the event venue:
About CPACER
C-PACER is a voluntary financing mechanism that allows commercial and multifamily property owners to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resilience improvements through a long-term assessment on their property with repayment tied to the property rather than the owner.
Learn more about the C-PACER financing program - King County, Washington
For questions about the symposium or sponsorship opportunities, contact Don Robinson, Regional Clean Energy Financing Senior Project Manager, at dorobinson@kingcounty.gov.
How to Get to the Seattle Climate Innovation Hub
Address
Seattle Climate Innovation Hub
1215 4th Ave 15th Floor, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
Transportation
Paid parking with EV chargers is available in the building. Enter going East (up the hill) on the one-way University Street. Also consider using Spothero. The closest Link light rail station is the Symphony Station on 3rd street. Bikes, battery-powered mobility, and batteries (even when not charging) must be stored in the locked room on the C/D level of the garage. Bring your own lock for the storage rack if needed. It’s inside the double doors by the elevator (email sosell@uw.edu for the door code).
The Seattle Climate Innovation Hub is the first downtown space dedicated to investing in and designing technology to combat climate change.
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VertueLab accelerates, funds and supports Pacific Northwest climate tech entrepreneurs building or scaling innovative and equitable solutions to the climate crisis.
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