In November of 2006, 82 percent of voters in Berkeley, California approved a measure to reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent before 2050. This case study tells the story of how Cisco DeVries, then Chief of Staff to the mayor, worked with key government staff members, researchers from UC Berkeley, and solar power companies to create Berkeley FIRST, a program providing homeowners with a cost-effective, long-term financing option to install solar panels on their roofs. The pilot program, installed on thirteen sites, allowed for a better understanding of the funding mechanism and energy savings benefits. This evolved into the statewide California FIRST program, nationally known as Property Assessed Clean Energy Program, or PACE.