Eligible Entities:

To apply for the CPUC’s Clean Energy Access (CEA) Grant Account, an entity must be one of the following types of applicants:

• TYPE 1: California tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

• TYPE 2: Federally or non-federally recognized California Native American Tribes, as defined in Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21073. PRC Section 21073 defines a California Native American Tribe as a Native American Tribe located in California that is on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission for the purposes of Chapter 905 of the Statutes of 2004.

• TYPE 3: Tribal entities, including organizations incorporated under Tribal law and wholly owned by the Tribe, Tribal Section 17 Corporations, and Tribal utilities and authorities operated under Tribal law. Tribal applicants, which includes Types 2 and 3 Eligible Applicants, are eligible to receive funds within the Tribal reserved portions, as well as funding from the general non-reserved funds.

The Clean Energy Access (CEA) Grant Account will award grants to CBOs and Tribal organizations to help facilitate access to and the adoption of clean energy programs in their respective communities. Specifically, the CEA Grant Account will provide funding to develop equity initiatives and clean energy access opportunities that complement other CPUC programs, including:

• Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP)

• Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)

• Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating (TECH) Initiative

At the community level, the grant program is designed to bridge gaps and connect people to clean energy access programs. Eligible activities may include:

• Community engagement

• Marketing, outreach and enrollment support

• Resource mapping and needs development

• Project design and development

• Capacity building and workforce development training

• Coordination with Existing Program Administrators

• Application and Implementation Technical Assistance

For example, funding from the CEA Grant Account could be used to:

• Conduct community outreach to gather necessary information for a microgrid project through the MIP.

• Conduct community outreach on the availability of SGIP and TECH to increase enrollment in underutilized communities.

• Improve awareness of training and workforce development opportunities for the TECH Initiative and provide financial or ancillary support to access these opportunities.

• Develop pathways to use TECH to achieve building decarbonization in disadvantaged communities.

• Hire technical assistance to support procuring a developer for a clean energy project through MIP or SGIP.

This grant will not pay for infrastructure buildout, such as hardware or equipment, but rather help facilitate the planning of projects as well as outreach to increase participation by underrepresented communities. CEA Grant Account eligible projects must be in an area served by a CPUC-regulated investor-owned utility for MIP supporting projects but may be statewide for the SGIP and TECH supporting projects.

It is important to note that grants from this account do not cover infrastructure buildouts, such as hardware or equipment.

To be eligible for these grants, proposed activities must be associated with the following CPUC programs: Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP), Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), and Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating (TECH) Program.

The maximum award amount for applications submitted to the CEA Grant Account is $500,000.