Paving the Way for California’s Gas Transition Grant

The California Energy Commission (CEC), through its Energy Research and Development Division, has released a grant solicitation titled “Paving the Way for California’s Gas Transition” under the Gas Research and Development Program. This funding opportunity, identified as GFO-24-501, aims to support applied research that facilitates California’s transition away from fossil gas use, aligning with the state’s long-term climate and energy planning goals. The solicitation is currently active, with a release date of March 19, 2025, and is funded through California’s Gas Research and Development (R&D) Budget Plans from Fiscal Years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. This solicitation is structured around two major research initiatives. The first focuses on conducting location-specific analysis of gas system decommissioning to inform long-term planning and policy. The second seeks to fund scaled-up pilot projects for gas decommissioning, as well as the development of integrated planning tools that support the statewide transition. These projects are intended to enhance understanding of the necessary prerequisites and the potential impacts of decommissioning fossil gas infrastructure and shifting energy consumption to alternatives such as electrification or lower-carbon gas options. Projects supported by this solicitation must contribute to California’s broader goal of decreasing reliance on fossil gas in the residential and commercial sectors. This includes efforts to electrify gas end uses, reduce gas-fired power generation, and explore alternatives like lower-carbon gases. The scope also includes potential gas infrastructure decommissioning and analysis of how these transitions affect California’s energy system and communities. Eligible applicants must submit their proposals through the Energy Commission Agreement Management System (ECAMS) portal. Applicants must have or create a user account to access the application features. Assistance resources such as user registration instructions and application guidelines are available for prospective applicants to ensure proper use of the portal. All questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted by April 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Proposals must be submitted by May 30, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. There is no indication that the solicitation is offered on a rolling basis or that it will recur annually. Evaluation criteria and application review details are not provided in the excerpt, and applicants may need to refer to additional documents on the ECAMS portal for that information.