GFO-23-312r2 – Round 2 Community Energy Reliability and Resilience Investment Grant Program

The GFO-23-312r2 grant program aims to enhance community energy reliability and resilience in California by funding deployment projects. It addresses the increasing electrical outages due to climate-related events and aging infrastructure, promoting equity and job creation. The program prioritizes projects that demonstrate immediate community benefits by reducing outage impacts. By supporting energy modernization and workforce development, this initiative aligns with California's climate goals and ensures that vulnerable populations receive reliable energy services.

This solicitation is part of the Community Energy Reliability & Resilience Investment (CERRI) Program, which invests in deployment projects across California that increase community energy reliability and resilience, support California’s climate and energy policies, improve energy justice and equity, and create good-paying jobs. Funding for this program was authorized under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Section 40101(d).
In recent years, California has experienced increased electrical system outages caused by climate-related events such as increased wildfires, heat waves, and storms, or through public safety power shutoffs (PSPS). These events, as well as aging infrastructure, threaten grid reliability, public health and safety, economic prosperity, communities, and ecosystems. They also pose disproportionate consequences for the most vulnerable populations in both rural and urban areas.
The intent of this solicitation is to invest in projects that increase the electric reliability and resiliency of communities in California by reducing outage frequency, duration, magnitude, and associated community impacts, while bolstering California’s workforce and promoting equity.
The CERRI Program is designed to prioritize projects that will generate the greatest community benefit by reducing the likelihood and consequences of electrical system outages. As such, projects that are close to shovel-ready, have initiated the environmental review process, or leverage otherwise stranded assets or existing infrastructure will be scored favorably based on criteria listed in Section IV.F. The objectives are oriented around four main themes outlined below. These themes are not listed in rank order.
Energy reliability and resilience: Reduce the frequency, duration, and magnitude of power outages and strengthen communities’ ability to function during power outages by providing day-to-day and emergency services for its constituents.Community Benefits: Ensure that the benefits of clean, safe, affordable, and reliable energy are shared by all, particularly communities with critical energy reliability and resilience needs.Advancement of Energy and Climate Goals: Support California’s energy modernization and climate goals.Workforce Development and Labor: Create high-quality jobs with strong labor standards and protections that attract and train a skilled workforce for lasting careers in the clean energy industry.