Local governments tap private sector with incentive programs

Local and state-led efforts introduced a range of incentives to bring private property GI to market. Stormwater fees, with accompanying discounts or offsets for onsite GI that reduces runoff, are relatively widespread. To be effective, though, these fees need to be high enough to impose appreciable costs on landowners, with offsets that justify the price of installing GI. In most cases, stormwater...

It may be more feasible or cost effective for a site developer to fund GI at a different location – achieving environmental gains while reducing compliance costs. Stormwater-retention credit-trading couples a regulatory driver (a strong onsite retention requirement) with a market structure that takes advantage of real estate economics to promote decentralized GI projects. Assertive onsite...

As stormwater permits and regional stormwater plans increasingly focus on reducing water quality impacts from urban stormwater, incentivizing solutions from the private sector will become a significant priority. In order to access this source of funding and retention capacity, local and state governments will need to develop and enhance programs that incentivize privately constructed and...

American Rive" />rs’ Clean Water Supply Program Director Jeffrey Odefey and Senior Economists Janet Clements and Jim Henderson with Corona Environmental Consulting collaborated in writing this feature. American Rivers is based in Washington, DC, US, and Corona is headquartered in Rockland, Massachusetts, US.