Distributed Electricity Backup Assets Program - Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for Grid Reliability
Distributed Electricity Backup Assets Program - Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for Grid Reliability funds zero-emission resources for non-residential and aggregated residential users to improve grid reliability.
Funder: California Energy Commission
Due Dates: November 13, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Pacific (Technical questions) | January 26, 2027, 5:00 p.m. Pacific (ECAMS support and administrative questions) | January 26, 2027, 11:59 p.m. Pacific (Applications)
Funding Amounts: $2 million–$8 million per award; $23.144 million–$46.144 million anticipated total funding; minimum three program seasons of performance
Summary: Supports deployment of new zero-emission distributed energy resources that increase supply or reduce or shift load to improve California grid reliability during extreme events.
Key Information: Projects must provide capacity incremental to Resource Adequacy supplies and existing Strategic Reliability Reserves, not solely backup capacity.
Description
The California Energy Commission’s Distributed Electricity Backup Assets (DEBA) Program offers competitive solicitation GFO-26-503 to deploy commercially available, zero-emission distributed energy resources. It supports energy storage, load-flexibility controls, distributed generation, and microgrid equipment serving non-residential or aggregated residential users. Projects must add electricity supply or reduce or shift demand to help California avoid blackouts during extreme events.
Administered by the Reliability, Renewable Energy & Decarbonization Incentives Division, this Proposition 4-funded opportunity emphasizes rapid deployment and measurable grid reliability benefits. Applicants must select an operational performance pathway and demonstrate their resources’ incremental capacity. Priorities include meaningful community benefits, additional matching funds, federally funded critical infrastructure, and use of conservation corps services.
