The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved its 2025 AB 209 Clean Energy Programs Annual Report at a Sept. 9 business meeting, outlining the status of over $442 million in encumbered funding across five significant state programs. The commission directed its staff to finalize the comprehensive document, transmit it to the Legislature, and make it publicly available on the agency's website. This report details the financial commitments and progress made in various clean energy initiatives.
According to the adopted report, $442.18 million of a total project budget of $495.9 million across the five programs had been encumbered by the close of 2025. The commission stated in the report that cumulative administrative, technical, and scientific services spending reached $14,928,342 through Dec. 31, 2025. These figures underscore the substantial financial commitments made by the state through the AB 209-related programs.
The bulk of the allocated funding was concentrated in the Equitable Building Decarbonization program, which accounted for a significant $359.25 million in encumbrances. This program represents the largest financial commitment among those detailed in the report, reflecting a substantial investment in efforts to reduce emissions from buildings.
Other clean energy programs moved at varying speeds in their implementation. The report indicates that the Clean Hydrogen Program remained unawarded, largely due to budget cuts that reduced its allocation to $4 million. In contrast, several other key initiatives demonstrated clear progress through their respective award and solicitation phases in 2025. These include the Food Production Investment Program, which focuses on enhancing sustainability within agricultural practices; the Industrial Decarbonization and Improvement of Grid Operations Program, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of industrial sectors and bolstering grid efficiency; and the Offshore Wind Waterfront Facility Improvement Program, which supports infrastructure development crucial for advancing offshore wind energy.
The five AB 209-related programs covered by the report are: Clean Hydrogen, Equitable Building Decarbonization, Food Production Investment, Industrial Decarbonization and Improvement of Grid Operations, and Offshore Wind Waterfront Facility Improvement. The report provides a detailed overview of the status and financial outlays for each of these initiatives, offering a comprehensive look at the state's progress in its clean energy goals.
A resolution adopted alongside the report clarified that the approval of this annual report does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Alternatively, the resolution states that such an action would qualify for the common-sense exemption under CEQA. This determination streamlines the process for the report's dissemination and avoids potential delays associated with environmental reviews for the document itself.
Moving forward, under the terms of the resolution, the executive director of the California Energy Commission or their designated representative is responsible for finalizing the report. Following its completion, the document will be forwarded to state lawmakers for their review and subsequently made publicly available, ensuring transparency regarding the state's clean energy investments and their progress.
