In 2000, the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill (AB) 1002 (Wright, Chapter 932, Statutes of 2000), requiring the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to impose a surcharge on gas consumed in California. These monies funded energy efficiency programs and public interest research and development to benefit gas ratepayers. AB 1002 also required the CPUC to designate an entity to administer the research component of AB 1002. In 2004, the CPUC issued Decision 04-08-010, designating the California Energy Commission (CEC) as a research fund administrator.
This Gas Research and Development Budget Plan describes the CEC’s proposed gas research and development initiatives for Fiscal Year 2025–2026. The proposed research and development initiatives align with the themes of gas system decommissioning and building decarbonization. The initiatives support state energy policies and goals, with several initiatives directly benefiting under-resourced communities. The proposed research funding for Fiscal Year 2025–2026 is $24 million. The budget plan covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The development of the budget plan benefited from input from representatives of the Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group, investor-owned utilities’ gas research and development program administrators, CPUC inter-agency coordination, and a public workshop, among other input received on CEC’s gas-related efforts.
The CEC staff appreciates the coordination with CPUC on the proposed research initiatives and CPUC’s ongoing support to enable access to needed utility infrastructure data.
