Fireman's Fund Insurance Company Introduces New Green Insurance Endorsements to Broaden Coverage for Policyholders

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company was the first property and casualty insurance company to offer green insurance to the U.S. commercial marketplace.  They have now introduced new green insurance endorsements that broadens coverage.

Fireman’s Fund is introducing Green Financial Incentive Coverage to provide protection for incentives impacting taxes, utilities, loans and more related to green installations or upgrades.  In the event of a loss, Fireman’s Fund will cover any losses for two calendar years.

Fireman’s Fund’s endorsements contain several additional enhancements, including:

  • Broadening eligibility for post-loss green upgrade to include all real and personal property that more efficiently uses energy or water, improves human health or reduces the impact on the environment. In the case of a loss, for example, green power generating equipment, alternative water systems, and vegetated roofs.
  • Fireman’s Fund has combined four forms – three commercial and one manufacturing – into a single endorsement, making it easier to use and which includes building commissioning and test and balance automatically as an extension of coverage.
  • For a certified building: coverage allows the insured to attain certification at one level above the certified green building level that the insured had prior to the loss or damage.
  • Vegetated roof coverage extended to vegetated swales and other vegetation that reduces heat island effect, including vegetated walls. Coverage now applies to both certified and traditional buildings (previously it was only for certified buildings).
  • Coverage is expanded to include porous paving - water permeable paving that allows water to drain into the ground to help manage water flow.

$100 Million Green Fund Formed

Southern California-based Shangri-La Industries and Thompson National Properties are forming a $100 million fund to make buildings more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.  The companies' $100 million Green Building Fund will be aimed at "value-add commercial and industrial assets that can be retrofitted, repositioned or redeveloped as energy efficient and environmentally sustainable," according to the companies' news release.

Properties selected by the TNP/SLI Green Building Fund for investment and sustainable development design build services will focus on buildings that will meet the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification criteria that will enhance the value, efficiency and marketability of these real estate assets.

 

District of Columbia Enacts the Clean and Affordable Energy Emergency Act of 2008

The District of Columbia has enacted the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008.  The Act authorizes the District Department of the Environment to contract with a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) to conduct sustainable energy programs.  The SEU will be a private entity.  The SEU contract will require, among other things, (1) reductions in the per-capita energy consumption, (2) increased renewable energy generating capacity, (3) reductions in peak demand, and (4) increased green collar jobs.

The District is establishing a Sustainable Energy Trust Fund (SETF) to fund the initiative.  The initiative will include a rebate program for PV, solar thermal, geothermal, wind, biomass and waste-gas projects.  The rebates will fund each project, up to 20 kW, in the amount of $3 per watt for the first 3kW, $2 per watt for the next 7kW and $1 per watt for the next 10kW.

The SETF will be funded by an assessment to the gas and electric companies and from the sale of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative credits (RGGI).  Gas companies are being assessed, per therm, $.011 in 2009, $.012 in 2010 and $.013 in 2011.  Electric companies are being assessed, per kWh, $.011 in 2009, $.0013 in 2010 and $.0015 in 2011.