The Financing Committee facilitates state collaboration and peer learning on key energy efficiency and renewable energy financing mechanisms and tools at the state and local levels, such as Energy Savings Performance Contracting (and related mechanisms), State Energy Revolving Loan Funds, loan loss reserves and other credit enhancement mechanisms, on-bill financing/repayment programs, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, and Green Banks.  The committee identifies market barriers, engages private sector and program partners, and shares solutions toward effective financing programs operated or managed by the State Energy Offices and their public and private partners.

Vision Statement

The Financing Committee will enable State Energy Officials to develop, oversee, and implement programs that leverage public and private capital to help support and achieve state energy goals.

Staff Contacts

Sam Cramer

Senior Program Director

Sam Cramer leads NASEO's financing program and state energy planning assistance and supports the electricity planning initiative. In his role, Mr. Cramer has conducted research on a range of issues such as energy-water nexus and Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy. Prior to NASEO, Mr. Cramer worked for the National Governors Association, where he assisted governors' offices with understanding energy topics including new utility business models and electricity market structures, shale oil and gas protective practices, and greenhouse gas emissions rules. Mr. Cramer received his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and his Master of Public Policy from American University.

Kaitlyn McBride

Coordinator, Financing and Planning

Kaitlyn McBride supports NASEO's energy financing, planning, and member engagement activities. Prior to joining NASEO, Ms. McBride worked as a Housing Intern at Boulder County Housing Authority, where she supported the development of affordable housing throughout Boulder County. Additionally, as part of her Masters capstone project, Ms. McBride collaborated with CAP Management in Denver, Colorado, to create a Sustainable HOA Certification Program aimed at encouraging and promoting the implementation of sustainable strategies in Homeowners Associations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics Management from Virginia Tech and a Masters of the Environment from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Jeff Pitkin

Senior Advisor, Financing

Jeff Pitkin provides support for NASEO's peer-to-peer learning among states on various clean energy financing topics and assists NASEO in an advisory capacity to support State and Territory Energy Offices with steps to help support the development of state clean energy funds and state green banks. Mr. Pitkin previously served as Treasurer (chief financial officer) for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), where he was responsible for oversight and management of several financial and operational support functions, until his retirement in 2021.  While at NYSERDA, he was responsible for the design, implementation, and oversight of the Green Jobs-Green New York Residential Financing Program, which offered unsecured consumer loans and on-bill recovery loans to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in residential homes. From 2011-2021, the program issued over 34,000 loans totaling over $413 million. Mr. Pitkin was also actively involved in the development, implementation, and oversight of NY Green Bank, a division of NYSERDA, which is an investment fund dedicated to filling financing gaps in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure markets. Launched in 2013 with $1 billion in capitalization, NY Green Bank deployed over $2 billion in capital commitments in its first 10 years of operation. Mr. Pitkin was also a prior co-chair of NASEO’s Energy Finance Committee.

  • New York
    Luis Aguirre-Torres, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
  • Georgia
    Kristofor Anderson, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
  • Minnesota
    John-Michael Cross, Minnesota Department of Commerce
  • California
    Miriam Joffe-Block, California Energy Commission
  • Texas
    Eddy Trevino, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

NASEO 2026 Energy Policy Outlook Conference
February 3-6, 2026 - Washington, DC

NASEO 2027 Energy Policy Outlook Conference
February 22-25, 2027 - Washington, DC

NASEO runs a quarterly NASEO Financing Committee Newsletter, featuring a list of NASEO’s financing-related in-person events, virtual events, and opportunities to be aware of for the coming months. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please reach out to Sam Cramer (scramer@naseo.org) or Kaitlyn McBride (kmcbride@naseo.org).

NASEO Financing Committee Call: Leveraging SEP Funds for State Energy Financing
December 16, 2025
  • NASEO’s Financing Committee hosted a discussion on how State and Territory Energy Offices are leveraging State Energy Program (SEP) funds to design and implement financing initiatives in their states. Speakers shared examples of how SEP funds are being applied to support State and Territory Energy Office programs. The session highlighted opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned from state experiences and provided a forum for participants to exchange ideas on effective financing approaches.
  • Speakers: 
    • Rebecca Puck Stair, Director, Energy Conservation and Management Division, New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department
    • Manuel Wiese, Senior Policy Manager, Energy Office, Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment
    • Amanda McClinton, Executive Director, Office of Energy, Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy
  • Click here to view the recording.
NASEO Financing Committee Call: Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy – Market Updates and Small Business Solutions
July 23, 2025
  • NASEO’s Financing Committee hosted a call on Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE). Speakers on the call shared insights on how their C-PACE programs are integrated into the current building finance markets, as well as the steps they have taken to ensure that smaller businesses can access C-PACE financing for needed retrofits. 
  • Speakers: 
    • Tracy Phillips, Director, Colorado C-PACE Program
    • Jon Wylie, Senior Counsel, Lean & Green Michigan
    • Holly Huston, VP of Finance, Saint Paul Port Authority
  • Click here to view the recording. 
NASEO Financing Committee Call: NASEO RLF and Tax Incentive Resources and Leveraging Tax Incentives for School Districts
January 15, 2025
  • NASEO’s Financing Committee hosted a call to provide an overview of the recently released NASEO Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Program-in-a-Box, as well as a series of short briefs on how State Energy Offices can leverage the recently enhanced federal energy tax incentives for buildings, transportation, and energy production. The second half of the call featured a presentation from Sara Ross, Co-Founder, UndauntedK12, on Elective Pay where she offered examples of how school districts are taking advantage of this mechanism to deploy clean energy improvements.
  • Speakers: 
    • Sam Cramer, Senior Program Director, NASEO
    • Sara Ross, Co-Founder, UndauntedK12
NASEO Financing Committee Call: Leveraging DOE Loan Programs Office (LPO) Capital for Energy Projects
August 20, 2024
  • NASEO’s Financing Committee hosted a call to discuss opportunities for State and Territory Energy Offices to leverage U.S. DOE Loan Programs Office (LPO) capital. State Energy Office speakers discussed how they are working with LPO to unlock this capital for energy projects in their states and highlighted further areas for cooperation.
  • Speakers: 
    • Cory Connolly, Chief Climate Officer, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
    • Luis Aguirre-Torres, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis and Financing Solutions, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
    • Abbey Cadden, Infrastructure Coordinator, Governor Shapiro's Office of Critical Investments, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Click here to view the recording.  
NASEO Financing Committee Call: National Clean Investment Fund Opportunities for State Energy Offices 
May 23, 2024
  • NASEO’s Financing Committee hosted a call to discuss the plans for the awardees of the National Clean Investment Fund allocations and how State Energy Offices can coordinate to help their states take advantage of this funding opportunity. Two of the awardees discussed their plans to disburse the awards in the next few years, and then discussed how State Energy Offices can best position themselves to take advantage of these funds to further develop greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in their states. The Committee then engaged in a discussion on next steps for this issue.
  • Speakers: 
    • Eli Hopson, Chief Administrative and Development Officer, Coalition for Green Capital
    • Tom Mercer, VP of Product, Rewiring America
  • Click here to view the recording.