Bringing Rapid Innovation Development to Green Energy

The Bringing Rapid Innovation Development to Green Energy (BRIDGE) 2024 program, administered by the California Energy Commission (CEC), aims to bridge the funding gap for clean energy start-up companies. Its core mission is to minimize the time between the conclusion of successful publicly-funded projects and the availability of new public funding, thereby accelerating the deployment of promising clean energy technologies. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of mobilizing early-stage capital in the clean energy sector by offering non-dilutive, matching investments in conjunction with private investors and commercial partners. The program specifically targets "Applied Research and Development" (AR&D) and "Technology Demonstration and Deployment" (TD&D) projects that have previously received awards from eligible CEC programs or United States federal agencies, ensuring support for technologies that have already demonstrated potential. The target beneficiaries are clean energy start-up companies in California that are developing innovative energy technologies. The impact goals are multifaceted: to enable successful clean energy entrepreneurship, accelerate the path to market adoption for promising technologies, and ultimately contribute to a more sustainable and resilient energy future for California. By providing crucial financial support at a critical juncture, BRIDGE aims to prevent the stagnation of promising innovations and facilitate their transition from research and development into commercial viability and widespread use. This strategic approach ensures that public investment in early-stage clean energy is effectively translated into tangible market solutions. The program prioritizes projects within specific technology categories: Energy Efficiency; End-use Electrification; Energy Storage; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning/Advanced Sensing; Advanced Power Electronics/Power Conditioning; and Zero- and Negative-Carbon Emission Generation (Renewable Generation). This focus ensures that funding is directed towards areas with the greatest potential for advancing California's clean energy goals and addressing pressing energy challenges. The emphasis on projects that have already attracted market interest, as evidenced by previous awards and investor engagement, underscores a strategic priority to support innovations with a clear path to commercialization and real-world impact. Expected outcomes include a reduction in the "valley of death" funding gap for clean energy start-ups, increased mobilization of early-stage capital, and the successful development and deployment of advanced clean energy technologies across California. Measurable results will likely involve tracking the number of projects funded, the amount of matching investments secured, the progress of technologies towards market adoption, and ultimately, the environmental and economic benefits generated by these innovations. The program's theory of change posits that by providing targeted, non-dilutive funding to promising clean energy companies, especially those with demonstrated market interest, it can significantly accelerate the transition of innovative solutions from the lab to the market, thereby contributing to a cleaner, more energy-efficient California.