Energy Research

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• Sources of Funding
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Careers in Energy Research and Development

Research, Development, and Demonstration

The Energy Commission's Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Division supports public interest energy research, development, and demonstration. RD&D activities include providing contracts and grants for research and development of energy technologies and related scientific activities.

The RD&D Division administers a total of $83.5 million in public interest energy research funds annually - $62.5 million for electricity and $21 million for natural gas.

Funding efforts are focused on the following RD&D program areas:

• Buildings Efficiency
• Demand Response
• Clean Advanced Electrical Generation
• Advanced Grid Technology
• Energy-Related Environmental Research
• Climate Science

• Industrial/Agricultural/Water End-Use Energy Efficiency
• Renewable Energy Technologies
• Transmission and Distribution
• Transportation
• Energy Innovations Small Grant Program

Oversight and detailed policy direction for the RD&D's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program is provided by the Energy Commission's Research, Development, and Demonstration Committee, with Chairman Karen Douglas serving as the presiding member and Vice Chair James Boyd serving as the associate member. The Committee conducts a budget review of the program annually, examines the status and progress of existing investments, and establishes initial target investment levels for the research areas for the coming fiscal year, consistent with energy policy priorities. These allocations are based on executive orders, state legislation such as Senate Bill 1250 (Perata, Chapter 512, Statutes of 2006), the Energy Commission's Integrated Energy Policy Reports (IEPR), and interagency cooperation and coordination. Throughout the year, the Energy Commission staff carries out program and project development activities within the established budget allocations, using a combination of competitive solicitations, interagency agreements, and sole source contracts to implement the RD&D priorities.

Strategic Partnerships

The Energy Commission relies on strategic partnerships to help carry out its research, development, and demonstration activities. Partnerships are used to avoid duplication, build on successful RD&D work, generate new ideas, leverage public and private investments, and ensure that the RD&D portfolio provides benefits to the state's electric and natural gas customers. Such partnerships facilitate interagency research coordination and cooperation and often include other state agencies, local and regional entities, industry, utilities and researchers.

Additionally, the Energy Commission taps into California's diverse and substantial research capabilities at state universities, national laboratories, and high-tech companies.

Creating and sustaining these partnerships helps leverage RD&D investments, and is essential to performing the right research for the greatest benefit to California's ratepayers.