New Solicitation Released: On October 23, 2026, the DEBA Program released its latest solicitation “Distributed Electricity Backup Assets Program - Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for Grid Reliability” (GFO-26-503). This competitive grant solicitation makes available up to $46,144,000, less any amounts allocated for state cost sharing for water utility projects, pursuant to Senate Bill 105 (Weiner, Chapter 104, Statutes of 2025) and Assembly Bill 113 (Gabriel, Chapter 248, Statutes of 2026). The intent of this solicitation is to support the deployment of new distributed energy resources (DERs) that can increase supply or reduce (or shift) load to improve the reliability of the state’s electrical grid and help avoid blackouts during extreme events. Please sign up for the DEBA email subscription topic to receive the latest updates.
Information on DEBA’s previous solicitation for Bulk Grid Asset Enhancements (GFO-23-401) can be found below.
- Bulk Grid Asset Enhancements for Grid Reliability Solicitation (GFO-23-401)
- Notice of Proposed Award issued on April 22, 2024
- DEBA Program Guidelines, First Edition, Adopted October 18, 2023
Assembly Bill 205 (Ting, Chapter 61, Statutes of 2022) created the Strategic Reliability Reserve to support the state’s electric grid reliability during extreme events. PRC Section 25790(c) states, “As California transitions to a clean energy future and contends with climate impacts and other challenges, sufficient capacity of new and existing generation assets will be required to maintain reliability during extreme events.”
AB 205 requires the CEC to implement and administer the DEBA Program, codified in PRC Sections 25791 and 25791.5. The DEBA Program provides funding for constructing cleaner and more efficient distributed energy assets and efficiency upgrades, maintenance, and capacity additions to existing power generators that will serve as on-call emergency supply or load reduction for the state’s electrical grid during extreme events, such as heat waves.
Proposition 4
Proposition 4 otherwise known as SB 867 (Allen 2024), The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 authorized additional funding for the DEBA Program’s distributed energy assets solicitation.
- Senate Bill 105 (Wiener, Chapter 104, Statutes of 2025) appropriated $46,144,000 in Prop 4 funding for DEBA.
- Assembly Bill 107 (Section 36) provides an exemption to the Administrative Procedures Act for Prop 4 programs funded by appropriations in the Budget Act of 2025 and earlier.
- Please visit the CNRA Prop 4 Climate Bond webpage for additional information.
- DEBA staff released a draft solicitation for public comment in June 2026.
- DEBA staff released an announcement to identify and seek letters of interest for cost-share funding for eligible awardees of federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) water utility projects.
DEBA staff released the final solicitation on October 23, 2026, “Distributed Electricity Backup Assets Program - Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for Grid Reliability” (GFO-26-503).