Offshore Wind Monitoring and HVDC Substation Design in California

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has released a funding opportunity under GFO-24-307 through the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program. This grant aims to support applied research and development projects under the EPIC 2021–2025 Investment Plan Topic 1: Floating Offshore Wind Energy Technologies. Specifically, it seeks to fund projects that advance designs and analyses of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) substations and develop environmental and entanglement monitoring solutions tailored to floating offshore wind (FOSW) infrastructure in California. The solicitation focuses on two project groups. Group 1 will support concept designs for floating or subsea HVDC substations to support FOSW in California’s Wind Energy Areas (WEAs), addressing technical and economic attributes, standardization, and environmental considerations. Group 2 will fund the development of entanglement monitoring systems that also incorporate environmental or structural monitoring features. These systems must be capable of detecting marine debris and animal entanglements while minimizing environmental impacts and operational costs. The overarching goal is to ensure offshore wind infrastructure is efficient, safe, and environmentally sustainable, while also supporting California's energy and climate goals. Funding for this opportunity totals $12 million, equally split between the two project groups. Group 1 projects may request between $1 million and $4 million and must provide at least a 10 percent cost share. Group 2 projects may request between $1.5 million and $3 million and must contribute a 20 percent cost share. All applicants must spend CEC funds within California, and at least five percent of the requested CEC funds must go toward technology transfer activities. Funding will be awarded based on evaluation criteria including technical merit, benefits to California ratepayers, cost-effectiveness, team qualifications, and proportion of CEC funds spent in California. Eligible applicants include all public and private entities, except local publicly owned electric utilities. Tribal organizations with sovereign immunity are eligible under special conditions, including providing documentation such as resolutions and limited waivers of sovereign immunity. Applicants must comply with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and ensure projects are feasible within the grant term, with the agreement start date anticipated for October 31, 2025, and ending on March 31, 2029. Applications must be submitted via the Energy Commission Agreement Management System (ECAMS) by May 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT. A pre-application workshop will be held virtually on March 4, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. All technical questions must be submitted by March 25, 2025. A Notice of Proposed Award (NOPA) is expected to be posted during the week of July 21, 2025, and final approval will occur during the October 8, 2025, CEC Business Meeting. Applicants are required to provide various attachments including a project narrative, budget forms, CEQA compliance form, letters of commitment, and a measurement and verification plan. For questions related to the ECAMS submission system, applicants can contact ECAMS.SalesforceSupport@energy.ca.gov. For all other inquiries, including technical and administrative questions, applicants should reach out to Eunice Lemos-Adair, the Commission Agreement Officer, at Eunice.Lemos-Adair@energy.ca.gov or by phone at (279) 226-1065.