California Energy Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local non-profits and school groups for projects that promote environmental sustainability, such as water conservation, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and educational initiatives.

The City of Vallejo received funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that will be used to fund grants to local small businesses who have suffered negative impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Donor Name: City of Vallejo State: California City: Vallejo Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 09/24/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Grants up to $3,000 for security improvements items, included but not limited to: Cameras Locks Window enhancements Eligibility Criteria For-profit and non-profit brick and mortar businesses located in Vallejo Businesses with valid Vallejo business license 20 or fewer employees Businesses with receipts of purchases made January 1, 2023, to September 24, 2024 For more information, visit City of Vallejo. Related Posts:City of Vallejo Hardening Grant – CaliforniaArtists' Business Initiative Grants (South Carolina)Catalyst Micro-Grant for Startups and Emerging…Request for Applications for Business Builder…Nominations open for Emerging Leaders 4 Under 40…TRANSFORM Business Grant to support EntrepreneursCity of Dubuque Small Business Support Grant Program (Iowa)City of Laurel Thrive Small Business Grant Program…Hawaiʻi FoundHer Uplifting Women Entrepreneurs ProgramCity of East Providence Washington Bridge Small…City of Dublin Hotel/Motel Tax Grant – OhioFemale Founder World Grant for Small BusinessesApply now for Heinz Black Kitchen InitiativeWashington Bridge Small Business Grant Program -…Science & Technology Business Startup Grant Program…Science & Technology Business Startup Grant Program…Oregon: Economic Development Grant ProgramKlamath County Tourism Grant Program in OregonTown of Christiansburg Façade Grant Program (Virginia)2025 Food Waste Reduction Grant (North Carolina)Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) – Illinois

The solicitation is to fund a project that will evaluate the feasibility of using existing underground gas storage facilities to store clean renewable hydrogen in California. Donor Name: California Energy Commission (CEC) State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/28/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: This project will develop technical and economic assessments of storing and retrieving hydrogen blends and/or pure hydrogen as well as California-specific decision-making tools, risk mitigation strategies, market and policy recommendations, and community engagement approaches related to those facilities. Project Focus  Research under this solicitation will support comprehensive technical and economic feasibility assessments of at least two existing underground gas storage facilities in California for their potential to store clean renewable hydrogen. The project is encouraged to assess a selection of geographically diverse sites (i.e., a Northern California site and Southern California site). The project must meet the following requirements: Engage with local communities and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) located around the selected sites for the study and assess the communities’ awareness of and support for underground hydrogen storage. Leverage feedback and learnings from this engagement to inform an experimental design responsive to community interests and concerns. Inform communities of project results and potential impacts of underground hydrogen storage. Study the characteristics of two selected sites representing existing underground gas storage facilities in California and conduct experiments to assess potential impacts of introducing hydrogen to the selected sites. Experiments should be inclusive of use cases involving storage as well as retrieval of hydrogen blends and sufficiently pure hydrogen for separation and end-use needs. Proposals for small-scale pilot testing or field experiments are eligible but must include a robust risk mitigation strategy. At a minimum, experiments should examine: Well integrity including the direct impacts to equipment and mechanical barriers from hydrogen exposure, and the impacts of subsurface environmental and microbial changes following hydrogen injection. Deliverability and reservoir dynamics such as permeability, viscosity, injection and withdrawal optimization, and potential hydrogen losses due to leakage, microbial activity, and time-dependent changes in the subsurface environment. Necessary mitigation measures (e.g., material selection, inspection tools, operational changes) to ensure safety and reliability. Conduct a quantitative risk assessment and techno-economic analysis for converting the selected underground gas storage facilities to store clean renewable hydrogen . This assessment will: Compare costs and risks of potential use cases, considering interactions with connected gas infrastructure (e.g., storage and delivery of hydrogen blends, storage of hydrogen blends with separation at the surface, storage and distribution of pure hydrogen). Estimate levelized cost of hydrogen storage, levelized total capital costs, and operations and maintenance costs for the selected sites, leveraging existing frameworks such as the Local-Scale Framework for Techno-Economic Analysis of Subsurface Hydrogen Storage,  considering California-specific characteristics. Develop recommendations for Gas IOUs, CBOs, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders to support decision making on next steps pertaining to the role of underground hydrogen storage in California, which may include additional R&D or demonstrations. Optional but desired project elements include: Compare the levelized cost of hydrogen storage and life-cycle emissions between underground hydrogen storage and alternative storage options like hydrogen carriers and conversion of hydrogen into synthetic methane. In addition to studying existing underground gas storage facilities, also examine potential of storing hydrogen in saline aquifers in preferable locations that allow for reuse of existing gas pipeline infrastructure. Funding Information There is up to $3,000,000 available for the grant awarded under this solicitation. The minimum funding amount for the project is $2,500,000. The maximum funding amount is $3,000,000. Grant Period November 1, 2024 – September 30, 2027. Eligibility Criteria  This solicitation is open to all public and private entities. Demonstration projects in this solicitation must be located in the service territory of a California gas Investor Owned Utility (Gas IOU), which includes Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company. All projects in this solicitation must benefit Gas IOU ratepayers. For more information, visit CEC.

The Innovation Fund by Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in California offers grants over $1 million to stimulate innovative public service projects and programs in areas like equitable access to services, economic vitality, and environment, available to IRS tax-exempt organizations operating in Contra Costa County, with application deadline on 10/07/2024.

The Clean Power Alliance provides Community Benefits Grants to organizations working to advance clean energy, green jobs, environmental education and stewardship, and energy equity and diversity in the communities that CPA serves. Donor Name: Clean Power Alliance State: California County: Los Angeles County (CA), Ventura County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/13/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Priority Focus Areas The CBG is available to projects and organizations focused on advancing clean energy, sustainability, and resiliency through the following pathways: Research Environmental and Social Justice Communities Workforce Development Education The CPUC identified environmental and social justice communities as those where residents are: Predominantly communities of color or low-income Underrepresented in the policy setting or decision-making process Subject to a disproportionate impact from one or more environmental hazards and Likely to experience disparate implementation of environmental regulations and socioeconomic investments in their communities On the ground, targeted communities typically include but are not limited to: Disadvantaged Communities, located in the most environmentally burdened California census tracts, as determined by the 25 percent highest scores (75th percentile) when using the CalEnviroScreen tool All Tribal lands Low-income households (household incomes below 80 percent of the area median income) and Low-income census tracts (census tracts where aggregated household incomes are less than 80 percent of area or state median income). Funding Information Awards will range from $15,000 to $30,000. Grant Period  One-Year grant. Geographic Areas The CPA service territory: Agoura Hills Hermosa Beach  Sierra Madre  Alhambra  Malibu  Simi Valley  Arcadia  Manhattan Beach  South Pasadena  Beverly Hills  Moorpark  Temple City  Calabasas  Monrovia  Thousand Oaks  Camarillo  Ojai  Unincorporated Los Angeles County  Claremont  Oxnard  Unincorporated Ventura County  Carson  Paramount  Ventura  Culver City  Redondo Beach  West Hollywood  Downey  Rolling Hills Estates  Westlake Village  Hawaiian Gardens  Santa Paula  Whittier  Hawthorne  Santa Monica Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants must be an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving the areas where CPA provides electricity.  Previous Community Benefits Grant recipients are eligible to apply for the 2024-2025 grant cycle. However, previous grant recipients are ineligible to receive funds more than two years in a row.  For more information, visit CPA.

This grant aims to fund innovative projects that increase demand flexibility in the Industrial, Agricultural, and Water (IAW) sectors, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing grid stability, and developing new technologies and strategies for load shifting, in line with California's goal of achieving a 7,000 MW load shift by 2030.

This grant provides funding for innovative projects that enhance energy storage technologies to improve grid reliability and support California's transition to 100% clean energy.

Grants will be awarded for specific eligible activities, such as speaking on a panel, participating in a working group, or participation in other decision-making processes. The PP Grant Account cap per organization of $15,000 will ensure a proportional distribution of funds over time and across various organizations. Submissions for grant awards will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the grant period and payment for these discrete engagements will be prompt.

This program provides financial support to property owners and businesses in downtown Bishop to improve building aesthetics, restore historic features, and stimulate economic growth through private investments.

Applicants are invited to apply for the Resilience Fund. Donor Name: Restaurants Care State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 06/30/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Restaurants Care Resilience Fund is a program of the nonprofit California Restaurant Foundation. In 2024, they will be awarding grants of $5,000 to 278 independent restaurants. This fund is powered by generous gifts from PG&E, SoCalGas, and SDG&E.  Funding Information It anticipates awarding $5,000 grants to 278 small businesses Uses for Grant (select one category): Kitchen equipment: Eligible equipment must be energy efficient and qualify for rebates (Hey! That’s extra money to help pay for your equipment!). Items include steamer, rack oven, conveyor broiler, combination oven, conveyor oven, fryer, underfired broiler, convection oven, griddle, and dishwasher. You can use your $5,000 check to purchase from whichever vendor you would like. To learn more about rebates available. Technology upgrades: tell us how you’ll put this grant to work! Eligible uses include POS system, website, accounting software, HR software, inventory management, and loyalty programs.  Employee training: Been meaning to elevate your employee training and systems? Use this grant to design a training program/handbook, purchase ServSafe trainings, or join the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers. Retention bonuses: Reward your best and brightest employees. You will need to state how many employees will receive grants and which positions they have (front of house, back of house, managers). The number of employees and positions do NOT impact your likelihood of getting a grant, we simply want to know how the funds will be used.  Unforeseen hardship: Within the last 12 months, has your restaurant experienced robbery/theft, vandalism, fire/flood, or natural disaster? This grant can help. Eligibility Requirements Must be an independently owned, for-profit restaurant or commercial caterer (franchises, home businesses, food trucks, and meal prep companies are not eligible) Owned by a CA resident 1-5 units Must earn no more than $3 million in annual gross revenue (combined for all units) Commercial customer of either PG&E, SoCalGas, or SDG&E Must be currently open and active for business. For more information, visit Restaurants Care.

This grant provides funding to tribes and community organizations to enhance their advocacy, education, and outreach efforts related to California Public Utilities Commission processes and decisions.

The purpose of this solicitation is to fund demonstrations of community-based virtual power plant (VPP) approaches and demonstrations of innovative energy management systems (EMS) in commercial buildings with the goal of increasing demand flexibility. Demand flexibility refers to comprehensive programs and strategies that align electricity consumption with dynamic grid conditions. These can include both event-based demand response (DR) and load shifting strategies. Accelerating demand flexibility is a key strategy for California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the state’s climate and clean energy goals reliably and affordably.    VPPs are portfolios of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as smart thermostats, rooftop solar photovoltaics, electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, and smart water heaters that are actively controlled by software to benefit the power system, consumers, and the environment. While these resources have the potential to meet grid needs as reliably as conventional alternatives such as gas-fired generators, their advantages extend further, offering greater affordability and substantial decarbonization benefits.[3] However, research and development of both technologies and business models is needed to fully capitalize on and understand VPPs’ potential, especially the systems that feature predictive controls and require minimal consumer engagement. The examples of predictive controls relevant to this research include, but are not limited to, the use of artificial intelligence or model predictive controls for EV load shifting or building pre-cooling applications.   Projects will be funded in two groups. Group 1: Virtual Power Plants: Demonstrations that showcase community-based demand flexibility programs as a long-term (10 or more years) grid resource. Project teams must partner with local governments or non-profits to facilitate customer participation and smart device installations. Projects must evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of community-based VPP approaches that use state-of-the-art DER management software (DERMS).   ·       Group 2: Commercial Building Energy Management in Low-Income or Disadvantaged Communities: Demonstrations of innovative EMS in commercial buildings focused on specific characteristics such as interoperability and adherence to open-source standards. Demonstrations require participation in electric investor-owned utility (IOU) or third-party DR programs and partnerships with device and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). These projects must showcase the latest advancements in energy management in the commercial sector and ensure technology adaptability, efficiency, and collaboration within the broader energy landscape.       

This grant provides financial support to local nonprofits in Orange County that promote renewable energy awareness and environmental stewardship.

CAL FIRE's Wood Products and Bioenergy team seeks to maintain and enhance the wood products infrastructure of California to promote healthy resilient forests throughout the state by supporting a diverse set of business development and workforce development projects.  ; Eligible business development projects include facilities, operations, and professional services that support the restoration of healthy, resilient forests.   Eligible workforce development projects include universities, colleges, government and community organizations, and businesses that aim to increase workforce capacity in the fields of logging, fuels treatment, transportation, manufacturing, or other support services that bolster the development of a resilient forest sector workforce.   Research and development projects related to both business and workforce development will also be considered. Check out the Wood Products website and subscribe for updates.     

This funding opportunity provides financial support for projects that develop fast public electric vehicle charging stations in California, particularly benefiting underserved communities and promoting clean transportation.

Hydrogen can serve as a zero-carbon energy carrier and act as a potential replacement for fossil fuels in hard-to-electrify applications, particularly for the transportation, industrial, and electricity generation sectors. For the purposes of this solicitation, clean hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced from water using eligible renewable energy resources, as defined in Public Utilities Code 399.12, or produced from these eligible renewable energy resources. To achieve sustainable wide-scale deployment, hydrogen must be produced cleanly at increased scale and reduced cost. This solicitation aims to reduce the cost burden of clean hydrogen production through large-scale, centralized production coupled with storage, delivery, and pre-determined offtakers to support a comprehensive hydrogen value chain. Expected outcomes include the development and deployment of low-carbon, cost-competitive hydrogen production from renewable energy sources and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in hard-to-electrify sectors.   The 2022 California Air Resources Board (CARB) Scoping Plan estimates that by 2045, demand for low-carbon hydrogen increases nearly two-fold the current levels of fossil hydrogen – or a 1,700-fold increase in existing low-carbon hydrogen supply – especially to support emerging end uses such as heavy-duty vehicles, power generation, industrial process heat, and synthetic fuels for aviation. Hydrogen produced from water using renewable energy resources or produced directly from renewable energy resources can provide low-carbon energy and act as an alternative to fossil gas, helping meet California's GHG reduction goals of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2045.     

The purpose of this solicitation is to award grants to fund projects focused on geothermal energy and lithium recovery from geothermal brine that support local jurisdictions and private entities to advance the geothermal sector and related activities per Public Resource Code (PRC) Sections 3800-3827 and California Code of Regulations (CCR) Sections 1660-1665. ; This solicitation aims to support the goals of Senate Bill 100 (SB 100, De Leon, Chapter 312, Statures of 2018), Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32, Nunez, Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006), and SB 32 (Pavley, Chapter 249, Statutes of 2016) to meet the eligible renewable energy, zero-carbon energy, and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. The proposed projects must not exceed thirty-six (36) months in length – the project term must be in alignment with the proposed project scope and budget, and it is encouraged to explain that alignment in the Project Narrative (Attachment 3). The proposed projects are limited to addressing one of the eligible purposes allowed by the Geothermal Grant and Loan Program, as presented in Section I.C., Project Focus, per PRC Section 3823. This solicitation will be conducted as a two-phase process. Phase one is for local jurisdictions that want to compete for technical assistance funds to develop and prepare the full proposal for this solicitation. Phase one applicants need to complete a 1) Technical Assistance Application Form, 2) Technical Assistance Project Summary, and 3) Technical Assistance Scope of Work. Phase two is for local jurisdictions and private entities to submit the full proposal, as indicated in Section I E. (Key Activities Schedule) of this solicitation. See Part II of this solicitation for applicant and project eligibility requirements. Phase one and Phase two applications will be evaluated as follows: (1) proposal screening and (2) proposal scoring, as fully described in Section IV. Applicants may submit multiple applications, though each application must address only one of the eligible purposes identified in Section 1 C. (Project Focus) of this solicitation. If an applicant submits multiple applications, each application must be for a distinct project (i.e., no overlap with respect to the tasks described in the Scope of Work).

This program provides financial assistance to eligible small businesses in California to help them enter or expand into international markets through subsidized events and reimbursement for export-related expenses.

The purpose of this solicitation is to fund an applied research and development project that will support research to assess the impact of consolidated packages of electrified retrofit measures on air quality and other related impact categories, including resilience to extreme heat, indoor comfort, and energy and cost savings in California homes. Description: This research will identify and assess non-energy benefits of home electrification and evaluate key stakeholders’ (e.g., residents, contractors) experience with the retrofitting process. Ultimately, this work will provide guidance on how these benefits could be considered in strategies and decisions to retrofit or replace gas-fueled appliances with electric. The proposed research is intended to provide crucial support to the state’s efforts to address challenges in building decarbonization and to minimize air quality impacts to its residents. The research responds to the 2021-2025 California Energy Commission (CEC) Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Investment Plan research initiative “Evaluating Air Quality, Health, and Equity in Clean Energy Solutions.” CEC’s California Building Decarbonization Assessment report, required by Assembly Bill 3232 (Friedman, Chapter 373, Statutes of 2018) suggests that efficient electrification in California’s buildings presents the most readily achievable pathway for this sector to achieve a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gases relative to 1990 levels by 2030 (Kenney, et al. 2021). The same report acknowledges significant challenges associated with residential building decarbonization including high upfront costs, potential for increased utility bills, limited awareness of technology options and their benefits, constraints faced by renters, and systemic inequality faced by low-income and disadvantaged communities. There are many non-market factors to consider in decisions to retrofit or replace appliances, such as the non-energy benefits of home electrification (e.g., health, comfort, and household economics) that many are not aware of. Additionally, there are many not-yet characterized potential benefits of electrification retrofits in existing homes (e.g., improved air quality). These existing homes pose challenges — as well as enormous potential benefits — related to electrification; however, they are not typically covered under the Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which apply only to new buildings and buildings undergoing permitted upgrades. Improvements in indoor air quality and related health outcomes are of particular importance to populations in low-income and disadvantaged communities, which are often disproportionately burdened by energy-related air pollutants. For example, in August 2023, the operating lives of three once through cooling (OTC) fossil gas power plants were extended through 2026 to provide reserve generation during power emergencies (CalMatters 2023, California Energy Commission 2023) and the emissions from OTC smokestacks can impact the outdoor and indoor air quality of residents living near those plants. In addition, wildfire-generated air pollution poses an added threat, possibly compounding already existing air quality issues in these communities. Eligibility Requirements Eligible Applicants: Business Individual Nonprofit Other Legal Entity Public Agency Tribal Government This solicitation is open to all public and private entities with the exception of local publicly owned electric utilities. Eligible Geographies: No local publicly owned electric utilities. Matching Funding Requirement: Match funding is required in the amount of at least 5% minimum of the requested CEC funds.

This grant provides funding to organizations involved in battery production and energy storage innovation to establish a pilot manufacturing facility in California, promoting advanced lithium-ion battery technologies for clean energy solutions.