The purpose of this solicitation is to fund applied research to increase California’s hydropower generation through precipitation enhancement (cloud seeding). Research funded by this solicitation will foster cost-effective, robust approaches to manage anticipated needs for zero-carbon, fast-ramping resources in the context of a rapidly evolving energy system and climate change.
The proposed research contributes to implementation of the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) 2021-2025 Investment Plan and responds to the strategic objective: “Inform California's Transition to an Equitable, Zero-Carbon Energy System that is Climate-Resilient and Meets Environmental Goals” (Chapter 7). Specifically, this solicitation supports the topic 44 within the Climate Resilience Initiative: “Integrating Climate Resilience in Electricity System Planning.”
Hydroelectric power is an important source of zero-carbon, dispatchable power in California. It is a critical element of the state’s electricity system and in-state generation, providing peaking reserve, spinning reserve, and load following capacity, as well as transmission line support (Somani, et al., 2021). The percentage of the state’s electricity supplied by hydropower varies, as hydropower resources are strongly dependent on magnitude and timing of snowmelt runoff and rainfall. Between 2012 and 2021, hydropower (including in-state generation and imports) provided an average of 9 percent of California’s total energy mix (California Energy Commission 2022).
There is up to $2,500,000 available for grants awarded under this solicitation. The total, minimum, and maximum funding amounts for each project group are listed below.
Project Group | Available CEC funding | Minimum CEC award | Maximum CEC award | Minimum match funding (% of CEC funds requested) |
Group 1: Advancing Precipitation Enhancement in California | $2,500,000 | $1,800,000 | $2,500,000 | 5% |
Match Funding Requirement
Match funding is required in the amount of at least 5% of the requested CEC funds.
Sign Up 
