This grant funding opportunity aims to accelerate industrial decarbonization and increase overall energy efficiency across California to meet statewide goals established by SB 32 (2016), SB 100 (2018), and SB 350 (2015). The solicitation funds technology development and demonstration projects of promising pre-commercial technologies that show potential for commercialization and market adoption.
Applicants must submit comprehensive proposals including application forms, executive summaries, detailed project narratives, project team information, scope of work documentation, project schedules, budgets, CEQA compliance documentation, references and work products, commitment and support letters, project performance metrics, applicant declarations, and energy efficiency data. The solicitation includes multiple submission rounds with different deadlines: Round 1 (March 6, 2023, 11:59 pm), Round 2 (March 4, 2024, 11:59 pm), and Round 3 (April 8, 2026, 11:59 pm). A pre-application workshop was held on October 26, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM via remote access.
Proposals must comply with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and demonstrate clear performance metrics and deliverables. Projects are evaluated based on their potential to contribute to California's clean energy goals, technical viability, team qualifications, budget reasonableness, and overall impact on industrial decarbonization. Questions regarding the solicitation were accepted until November 14, 2022, at 5:00 pm. Eight addenda have been issued with additional guidance and clarifications, and notice of proposed awards have been issued for all three rounds, with Round 2 awards announced on June 28, 2024.