The purpose of this solicitation is to fund applied research and development projects that inform California's transition to an equitable, zero-carbon energy system that is climate-resilient and meets environmental goals. Applied research supported by this solicitation will improve existing ambient air quality modeling approaches, advance low-cost measurement technologies, and conduct analyses to quantify the air quality implications and related human health impacts of clean energy interventions across energy use sectors. Ultimately, this research will contribute to a foundation for accurate monetization of non-energy impacts of clean energy interventions.
Improvements in air quality and related human health outcomes are important direct benefits of decarbonizing energy sectors that currently rely on fossil fuels. Capturing these impacts is important to motivate investments in decarbonization strategies but is also a challenging task. Robust air quality modeling and field measurements can help to accurately project the air quality-related benefits and ultimately monetize the human health impacts of clean energy interventions such as implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 100. This solicitation addresses public interest research opportunities at the nexus of human health, air quality monitoring and modeling, and California’s decarbonizing electricity system. Existing ambient air quality simulation models require rigorous evaluation for accuracy of estimates, specific tailoring to California’s complex geography and meteorology, and expanded capability to simulate pollutants such as ozone and secondary particulate matter. Additionally, improvements in the spatial resolution and computational efficiency of existing models are critical to illuminate impacts of decarbonization strategies, and applied research is needed related to low-cost air quality sensors for in-situ household pollution measurement. While existing sensors enable collection of abundant data, they can be afflicted by performance issues and associated inaccuracies.
Projects must fall within the following project groups: Group 1: Advancing Ambient Air Quality Modeling Capabilities and Analysis; and Group 2: Developing a Low-cost Air Quality Sensor to Assess Household Air Pollution.
Amount Available
There is up to $6,000,000 available for grants awarded under this solicitation. The total, minimum, and maximum funding amounts for each project group are listed below.
Group 1: Advancing Ambient Air Quality Modeling Capabilities and Analysis
Available CEC funding $3,000,000
Minimum CEC award $2,900,000
Maximum CEC award $3,000,000
Minimum total match share percentage 5%
Group 2: Developing a Low-cost Air Quality Sensor to Assess Household Air Pollution
Available CEC funding $3,000,000
Minimum CEC award $2,900,000
Maximum CEC award $3,000,000
Minimum total match share percentage 5%
Deadline to Submit Applications: April 30, 2026 11:59 p.m.
Anticipated Notice of Proposed Award Posting: Week of June 22, 2026
Anticipated Energy Commission Business Meeting: September 9, 2026
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