Solar for All Program (CA-SFA) - Community Solar

Solar for All Program (CA-SFA) - Community Solar is sponsored by California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

State of California Solar for All Program State of California Solar for All Program California ’s US EPA Solar for All (S4A) Grant The following is a joint statement of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Energy Commission (CEC), and Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s termination of the Solar for All funding: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s unlawful termination of Solar for All funding needlessly increases the cost of community solar and storage projects in California and damages California’s efforts to unleash innovation, train people for today’s energy jobs, and build clean energy projects.

California is already well underway in implementing its Solar for All grant, which includes $250 million directed to community solar and storage projects through the CPUC, CEC, and LWDA.

An EPA-approved workplan was created by the state through a stakeholder-driven process, and funding was made available to California on March 24, 2025 to make community solar and storage a viable complement to the state’s current powerful fleet of clean energy resources. Congress appropriated these funds with a clear mandate. Revoking them now undermines our legal system and destabilizes ongoing projects.

The CPUC, CEC, and LWDA urge the EPA to reverse its unlawful termination. Solar for All Coordination The CPUC is the lead agency for California’s Solar for All Program, with approximately $190 million of the grant funds to support new mid-scale capacity solar systems, or community solar, in the territories of the investor-owned utilities.

California reserved approximately $19 million of the community solar budget to encourage the development of projects on tribal lands, and approximately $9. 7 million for Solar on Multi Family Affordable Housing to support site readiness grants to affordable multifamily housing participants to install solar and storage.

The CEC administers approximately $25 million to establish new programs in the territories of publicly owned utilities, including tribal customers, to deploy community solar, multifamily rooftop solar, and single-family rooftop solar and storage in publicly owned utility territories. The LWDA, through the Employment Development Department, administers $8 million to establish a workforce training program.

California ’s Solar For All ( S 4 A ) grant from the U . S . Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be used to fund solar initiatives statewide.

Three agencies : the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Co mmission (CEC), and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency via the Employment Development Department (EDD) will oversee the grant funds. A summarized version of the workplan is available here . Cali for nia Solar for All (SFA) grant is secured.

Cali for nia state agencies are in the administrative and planning phase of implementing this $250 million grant from the US EPA to benefit low-income Cali for nians. Cali for nia continues to work with US EPA on implementation details in alignment with EPA guidance.

On June 4, 2025, the CPUC held a public California Solar for All Informational Webinar to discuss California’s plan for implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant. Staff from the CPUC, California Energy Commission, and Employment Development Department discussed workplan activities and opportunities for engagement, including upcoming vendor solicitations and contracting opportunities.

Download Webinar Slides for SFA Informational Webinar Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is the status of California’s Solar for All funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)? Cali for nia’s Solar for All (SFA) grant is secured. Cali for nia state agencies are in the administrative and planning phase of implementing this $250 million grant from the U.S. EPA to benefit low-income Cali for nians.

There are three agency partners – California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, and Employment Development Department. When does California’s SFA grant end? The SFA grant period of performance ends on April 30, 2029.

Who is overseeing California’s SFA grant? Three agencies are overseeing the administration of the State’s Solar for All Grant: the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency via the Employment Development Department. Each agency is implementing their own portion of the grant-funded work.

CPUC’s role is to collect information and submit required reports to the U.S. EPA on behalf of the coalition. Each agency welcomes the public’s input on its SFA work and must follow its own rules to handle the grant. There are also opportunities for job positions and vendor contracts to help with SFA or other work in the energy sector.

California Vendor Opportunities: All third-party contracts in California’s approved EPA Solar for All workplan will be facilitated following state contract rules and processes. Visit the California State Government Marketplace (Cal ePRocure) at https://caleprocure. ca.

gov/pages/index. aspx to learn more about how to do business with the State. Search Department 8660 to view open Public Utilities Commission bid opportunities.

California Job Opportunities: Visit https://www. calhr. ca.

gov to apply for open positions. CPUC Regulatory Proceedings: Please visit the CPUC's brochures webpage to find information on what happens in a proceeding, the differences between informal and formal participation, how to make public comments, and how to participate in proceeding events like hearings and workshops.

How do I find out more information about the CPUC’s Community Solar and Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) programs? Community Solar: Visit https://www. cpuc.

ca. gov/communitysolar Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH): Visit https://www. cpuc.

ca. gov/somah How do I find out more information about the California Energy Commission’s SFA program for publicly owned utilities? Please visit https://www.

energy. ca. gov/programs-and-topics/programs/solar-all-program Where can I find more general information on the U.S. EPA’s Solar for All Program?

Visit https://www. epa. gov/greenhouse-gas-reduction-fund/solar-all ( IOU-S4A Community Solar (~$ 190.

2 million): Funds will support new mid-scale capacity solar systems (about 5 MW each) that offer 20% monthly electricity bill discounts to participating households in the three investor-owned utilit y (IOU) territories . California is reserving $19M of its IOU-S4A Community Solar budget to encourage the development of projects on tribal lands.

Should these funds not be fully allocated after three years, funds will return to the general allocation of IOU-S4A Community Solar funds. Details on the distribution of these funds will be determined in the CPUC’s C ommunity S olar proceeding , A. 22-05-022.

Please check the “How to Participate in this Proceeding” section of our Community Solar in California page to learn more about getting involved. IOU-S4A SOMAH (~$9.

7 million): Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) site readiness grants to affordable multifamily participants to improve structures and grid connections enabling upgrades to deploy residential rooftop solar and associated storage (including tribal customers). Details on the implementation of these funds are likely to be presented by the SOMAH Program Administrator via a Tier 2 Advice Letter filing.

Details on the SOMAH Program can be found here: The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program .

Details on the Advice Letter process can be found here: Energy Utility Advice Letter and Tariff Information POU-S4A (~$25 million): Establish new programs to deploy community solar, multifamily rooftop solar, and single-family rooftop solar or solar with associated storage systems (including tribal stakeholders) in multiple Publicly Owned Utility (POU) territories.

POU-S4A will offer at least the minimum bill expected of 20% monthly electricity bill savings. The CEC will run two to three granting cycles to which POUs or Tribes will apply to start new programs and tariffs in their territories during the grant period to expand solar access to Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC) customers. More details may be found here .

RWP-S4A (~$8 million): Establish and expand training programs to increase knowledge and competency of workers within the solar and storage sectors through the Resilient Workforce Program (RSW). Selected programs will include outreach to increase participants from identified LIDAC communities.

The Employment Development Department (EDD) Workforce Services Branch (WSB) has managed funding programs that create pathways for job growth via training partnerships with California employers. More details may be found here .

Contracting and Procurement Opportunities All of California’s EPA S4A consulting and contracting opportunities will be administered on the Cal eProcure System through California’s State Government Marketplace ( https://caleprocure. ca. gov/pages/index.

aspx ). For income qualified households, statewide programs: Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) California Alternative Rates for Energy ( CARE ) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Energy Bill Discounts Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Program Free Efficiency Services SwitchIsOn.

org Heat Pump Water Heaters and HVAC System Rebates Self-Generation Incentive (SGIP) Program Energy Storage Incentives For income-qualified households in disadvantaged communities only: Disadvantaged Community Single Family Solar Homes (DAC SASH) Program Solar Incentives Disadvantaged Community Green Tariff (DAC-GT) Bill Credits