Many government-owned wastewater systems in the United States are enterprise funds.  That is, they are business-like units within the overall government that should be self-sustaining, taking their revenue from the rates and fees charged to wastewater customers rather than from … Read more

This is Part 2 of a 2 part blog post on utility financial risk. Part 1 focuses on utility revenue risk, and Part 2 focuses on utility debt risk. In our first blog post on utility financial risk, we discussed … Read more

To address the huge costs of stormwater management, communities across the nation are creating new programs to attract investment. But what are the key conditions and governing structure needed to encourage higher private investment in localized stormwater management? The EFC … Read more

In honor of the World Cup that began last night, we are re-posting a wonderful image that made quite a splash online a few years ago. EPCOR Utilities, Inc., the water utility that serves the City of Edmonton in Canada, … Read more

This is Part 1 of a 2 part blog post on utility financial risk. Part 1 focuses on utility revenue risk and Part 2 focuses on utility debt risk. On April 29, 2014, the Texas-based utility Energy Future Holdings Corp. … Read more

Big News in the World of Innovative Water Rate Design Last week, one of the most interesting water rate structures we’ve seen recently was narrowly voted down in a referendum vote.  After several years of debate and campaigns to win … Read more

This morning, legislation sits on the President of the United States’ desk that will advance policies and funding for the nation’s water infrastructure. Assuming he signs it, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014 will authorize funding … Read more

If you ask the average home or business owner about energy efficiency improvements, she will most likely say something about turning off lights or replacing an older appliance.  She might even discuss a recent energy audit or the installation of … Read more

By Sarah Royster and Mary Sketch The Environmental Finance Center analyzes annual data from multiple sources, including the NC Division of Environmental Assistance and the NC Division of Waste Management, on solid waste fees from North Carolina counties and municipalities. … Read more

Last week, Glenn Barnes wrote about a public forum for which we hosted a wide range of environmental finance experts to speak about the future of environmental finance: the opportunities and the challenges ahead. It was a broad topic, no … Read more