Description
The California Energy Commission is offering cost‑share grants to support projects that complement a federal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA DE‑FOA‑0003589) focused on geothermal‑linked critical‑minerals extraction, including direct‑lithium extraction and rare‑earth exploration. Applicants must be a California local jurisdiction or private entity and will receive up to $2 M (Topic 3A) or $1 M (Topic 3C) in state cost‑share, contingent on securing the matching federal award. Projects must spend at least 70 % of combined funds in California, and any field‑demonstration activities must be located within the state. The solicitation includes a pre‑application workshop, a Phase I application due June 29 2026, and a Phase II post‑award process that must be completed within 30 days of federal award receipt.
• Eligible applicants: California cities, counties, districts, tribal entities, or private firms (no state agencies or federal labs as prime recipients).
• Funding: Up to $3 M total across all awards; per‑award caps of $2 M (Topic 3A) or $1 M (Topic 3C). Minimum match: 0 % for jurisdictions, 100 % for private entities (federal award counts as match).
• Required deliverables: Project narrative (10 pages), detailed scope of work (30 pages), feasibility study, schedule, budgets, CEQA compliance, and commitment/support letters (including site‑owner letters for any field‑demonstration).
• Timeline: Release 4 Jun 2026 → Workshop 16 Jun 2026 → Phase I due 29 Jun 2026 → Phase II submission ≤ 30 days after federal award → Agreement execution within 90 days after CEC business meeting → Project term ≤ 3 years.