Assembly Bill 1002 (Wright, Chapter 932, Statutes of 2000) authorizes the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to impose a surcharge on all natural gas consumed in California. These monies fund energy efficiency programs and public interest research and development projects benefitting natural gas ratepayers. In 2004, the CPUC issued Decision 04-08-010, designating the California Energy Commission as the administrator for the research funds. The Energy Commission manages the Natural Gas Research and Development program, using competitive solicitations aligned with California’s climate, energy and safety policies to support energy-related research, development, and demonstration not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets. To help ensure a high return on ratepayer investments, administrative costs are limited to 10 percent, funds are rewarded through a competitive process, technical advisory committees inform technology development and deployment for each project, and these results are made public. The Energy Commission submits an annual proposed program plan and funding request to the CPUC for review and approval.
This Natural Gas Research and Development Program Proposed Program Plan and Funding Request for Fiscal Year 2018-19, describes the Energy Commission’s proposed natural gas research initiatives in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy infrastructure, including natural gas safety and integrity. The proposed research funding for fiscal year 2018-19 is $24 million, and the budget plan covers July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. The report proposes research to improve measuring emissions measurements and advance developing and deploying natural gas in heavy-duty trucks to help improve air quality in the state’s severely polluted air basins. The recommendations are based on input from California stakeholders, research institutions, equipment manufacturers, and governmental partners, with several initiatives in this budget plan to benefit disadvantaged communities. These initiatives were carefully chosen while considering ongoing public outreach seeking research initiatives from California researchers.
