Innovation Ecosystem

The mission of the Energy Assessments Division is to assess California’s energy systems and trends, providing information for decision-makers and the public resulting in policies that balance the need for adequate resources with economic, public health, safety, and environmental goals.

For more than 40 years, the Energy Commission has been pivotal in advancing energy efficiency strategies. The Energy Commission has saved consumers more than $110 billion in utility bills by adopting and implementing cost-effective appliance and building energy efficiency standards.

The Energy Commission administers the state’s landmark Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), ensuring that utilities disclose their electricity supply portfolio to consumers, certify power plants, and verifies utilities are meeting the RPS targets.

The R&D Division manages investments that advance energy science and technology in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable and advanced clean generation, energy transmission and distribution, energy-related environmental protection, and transportation.

The Energy Commission invests about $100 million annually to develop and deploy low-carbon fuels and vehicle technologies. In addition, the Energy Commission is the state’s lead agency on electric vehicle fueling infrastructure, responsible for leading the state’s investment in plug-in electric vehicle stations and establishing the first network of retail hydrogen refueling stations in the nation.