Description
The California Energy Commission’s Distributed Electricity Backup Assets (DEBA) program provides competitive grant funding for zero‑emission distributed energy resources that improve grid reliability during extreme events. Eligible applicants (public agencies, utilities, nonprofits, tribes, etc.) must propose battery storage, thermal storage, vehicle‑grid integration hardware, smart load‑flexibility controls, or other eligible DER technologies, and demonstrate incremental capacity (MW) that can be dispatched for at least two consecutive hours during the program season. Projects must secure ≥ 25 % matching funds (or 10 % for projects benefiting vulnerable communities), complete all CEQA and permitting requirements before the encumbrance deadline, and be operational by March 31 2030. The award range is $2 M–$8 M per project, with a total competitive pool of $23‑46 M. Key deliverables include a detailed Scope of Work, Project Schedule, Measurement‑and‑Verification plan, quarterly progress reports, and final close‑out documentation.