§ 25711.5. — 25711.5. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 15, Sec. 6.)

In administering moneys in the fund for research, development, and demonstration programs under this chapter, the commission shall develop and implement the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program to do all of the following:
(a)
Award funds for projects that will benefit electricity ratepayers and lead to either of the following:
(1)
Technological advancement and breakthroughs to overcome the barriers that prevent the achievement of the state’s statutory energy goals and that result in a portfolio of projects that is strategically focused and sufficiently narrow to make advancement on the most significant technological challenges that shall include, but not be limited to, energy storage, renewable energy and
its integration into the electrical grid, energy efficiency, integration of electric vehicles into the electrical grid, and accurately forecasting the availability of renewable energy for integration into the electrical grid.
(2)
Technological advancements to reduce the costs of building electrification, including by reducing or avoiding costs of expanding electrical service and electrical panel upgrades for existing buildings.
(b)
In consultation with the Treasurer, establish terms that shall be imposed as a condition to receipt of funding for the state to accrue any intellectual property interest or royalties that may derive from projects funded by the EPIC program. The commission, when determining if imposition of the proposed terms is appropriate, shall balance the
potential benefit to the state from those terms and the effect those terms may have on the state achieving its statutory energy goals. The commission shall require each reward recipient, as a condition of receiving moneys pursuant to this chapter, to agree to any terms the commission determines are appropriate for the state to accrue any intellectual property interest or royalties that may derive from projects funded by the EPIC program.
(c)
Require each applicant to report how the proposed project may lead to technological advancement and potential breakthroughs to overcome barriers to achieving the state’s statutory energy goals.
(d)
Take into account, when applicable, the adverse localized health impacts of proposed projects to the greatest extent possible.
(e)
Establish a process for tracking the progress and
outcomes of each funded project, including an accounting of the amount of funds spent by program administrators and individual grant recipients on administrative and overhead costs and whether the project resulted in any technological advancement or breakthrough to overcome barriers to achieving the state’s statutory energy goals.
(f)
Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, prepare and submit to the Legislature no later than April 30 of each year an annual report in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code that shall include all of the following:
(1)
A brief description of each project for which funding was awarded in the immediately prior calendar year, including the name of the recipient and the amount of the award, a description of how the project is thought to lead to technological advancement or breakthroughs to overcome barriers to achieving the
state’s statutory energy goals, and a description of why the project was selected.
(2)
A brief description of each project funded by the EPIC program that was completed in the immediately prior calendar year, including the name of the recipient, the amount of the award, and the outcomes of the funded project.
(3)
A brief description of each project funded by the EPIC program for which an award was made in the previous years but that is not completed, including the name of the recipient and the amount of the award, and a description of how the project will lead to technological advancement or breakthroughs to overcome barriers to achieving the state’s statutory energy goals.
(4)
Identification of the award recipients that are California-based entities, small businesses, or businesses owned by women, minorities, or
disabled veterans.
(5)
Identification of which awards were made through a competitive bid, interagency agreement, or sole source method, and the action of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) for each award made through an interagency agreement or sole source method.
(6)
Identification of the total amount of administrative and overhead costs incurred for each project.
(7)
A brief description of the impact on program administration from the allocations required to be made pursuant to former Section 25711.6, including any information that would help the Legislature determine whether to reauthorize those allocations beyond June 30, 2023.
(8)
A brief description of each project for which follow-on funding was awarded in the immediately prior calendar year, including the amount of follow-on funding awarded for the project and the method and criteria used to select that project.
(g)
Establish requirements to minimize program administration and overhead costs, including costs incurred by program administrators and individual grant recipients. Each program administrator and grant recipient, including a public entity, shall be required to justify actual administration and overhead costs incurred, even if the total costs incurred do not exceed a cap on those costs that the commission may adopt.
(h)
(1)
Use a competitive bid as the preferred method to solicit project applications and award funds pursuant to the EPIC program, except as
specified in paragraphs (2) and (4).
(2)
(A)
The commission may use a sole source or interagency agreement method to noncompetitively award funding for a project if the project has a reasonable cost, the project satisfies one or more of the criteria described in subdivision (f) of Section 25620.5, and both of the following conditions are met:
(i)
The commission, at least 60 days before making an award pursuant to this subdivision, notifies the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the relevant policy committees in both houses of the Legislature, in writing, of its intent to take the proposed action.
(ii)
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee either approves or does not disapprove the proposed action within 60 days from the date of notification required by clause (i).
(B)
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact this paragraph to ensure legislative oversight for awards made on a sole source basis, or through an interagency agreement.
(3)
Notwithstanding any other law, standard terms and conditions that generally apply to contracts between the commission and any entities, including state entities, do not automatically preclude the award of moneys from the fund through the competitive bid method.
(4)
(A)
Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may award, through a noncompetitive method, follow-on funding for projects that meet all of the following requirements:
(i)
The project is eligible to receive an award of funds from the EPIC program.
(ii)
The project has been funded, at least in part, through the EPIC program.
(iii)
The project has a prime recipient that is located in California.
(iv)
The project will spend a minimum of 80 percent of its funding from the program in California.
(v)
The project has received funding for the original project or technology through a competitive bid process from a state or federal agency.
(vi)
The project has demonstrated significant results under its previous award.
(vii)
The project has technology breakthrough potential that can enable the state to achieve its statutory energy policy goals on or ahead of schedule.
(viii)
The project can address near-term priorities impacting the electricity sector and its ratepayers, such as mitigating wildfires and reducing the occurrence of deenergization events.
(ix)
Absent follow-on funding, the project would experience a gap in funding that would likely prevent the technology from achieving significant advancement, negatively impact the ability of the project to attract sufficient private investment, or prevent the project’s commercialization and associated sales revenue.
(x)
The project has not previously received follow-on funding through a noncompetitive method.
(B)
The commission shall approve any award of follow-on funding at a business meeting.
(C)
Follow-on
funding is not subject to the requirements of paragraph (2).
(D)
A project’s follow-on funding shall not exceed the project’s most recent competitively bid award through the EPIC program.
(E)
The commission may adopt guidelines for follow-on funding awards. The Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) does not apply to the adoption of these guidelines.
(F)
This paragraph shall become inoperative on January 1, 2028.

Legislative History

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 15, Sec. 6. (SB 127) Effective June 27, 2025.