Los Angeles Times article by Cyndia Zwahlen

California regulators want to expand a pilot program under which utilities offer interest-free loans to small businesses that want to buy energy-efficient gear.

The three big utilities that tried the program last year are on board to enlarge the effort. At least one will probably propose raising the cap for loans to small businesses to $100,000, from $50,000, and increasing the payback timetable to 10 years for loans to institutional customers such as cities and schools, said energy consultant Hank Ryan, who is credited with bringing a successful Connecticut program to California that lets customers make loan payments through their utility bills.

Southern California Edison wants to boost its loan fund, which was about $2.5 million last year.

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