- Public School Districts
- Charter Schools
- County Offices of Education
- State Special Schools
Projects with proven energy or demand cost savings or both are eligible. Examples of projects include:
- Lighting system upgrades.
- Pumps and motors.
- Streetlights and LED traffic signals.
- Energy management systems and equipment controls.
- Building insulation.
- Energy generation including renewable and combined-heat-and-power projects.
- Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment.
- Water and wastewater treatment equipment.
- Load-shifting projects, such as thermal energy storage.
- Energy storage systems.
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure used to power public fleets.
Proposed projects must be technically and economically feasible.
The application submission deadline was November 28, 2025. The California Energy Commission is no longer accepting applications for this funding cycle. Applications submitted before the deadline were processed on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds were allocated.
For current funding availability or updates on future opportunities, please contact the California Energy Commission
The program opportunity notice for the zero percent loan program is PON-22-001, and is available to public school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, and state special schools.
- Maximum loan amount is $3 million for energy efficiency, and energy generation projects, or $5 million for projects the incorporate electric vehicle charging infrastructure and/or energy storage systems.
- Loans must be repaid from energy cost savings or other legally available funds within a maximum of 20 years.
- Loans with a simple payback period greater than 20 years can be partially funded.
- The loan term cannot exceed the useful life of loan-funded equipment.
- Only approved project-related costs with invoices dated within the executed term of the loan are eligible to be reimbursed from loan funds.
- A promissory note and a loan agreement between the applicant and the California Energy Commission are all that are required to secure the loan.