California Blueprint Budget includes $2 billion ($2.035 billion General Fund) over two years for a Clean Energy Investment Plan.

• Long Duration Storage—
• Green Hydrogen
• Industrial Decarbonization
• Food Production Investment
• Oroville Pump Storage
• Low-Income Weatherization Program—$25 million
• Community Resilience Centers Program—$25 million

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$300 million General Fund

The 2021 Budget also included a $300 million General Fund over two years to support the implementation of the state’s updated Extreme Heat Action Plan.

California Blueprint’s Clean Energy Investments

California’s Blueprint for clean energy helps drive investment, create jobs, and improve the quality of life. The Blueprint results from extensive work by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Commission (CEC), and other state agencies to drive innovative ways to advance clean energy in California. 

The state has identified how it can invest $1.8 billion annually from ratepayers over the next ten years, providing certainty for investors, innovators, and communities. This investment enables the state to double renewables, increase efficiency and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, the state will invest $100 million annually to help low-income communities with their clean energy efforts.

Types of Investments

The Blueprint invests in various clean energy technologies, including solar and wind power, geothermal, bioenergy, and energy storage. The Blueprint also supports research to improve existing technologies and the development of new technologies. 

The California Blueprint invests across California to help further energy efficiency and clean energy industries in the state’s diverse regional economies. The Blueprint supports projects with a similar range of geographic diversi, includinges projects in rural and urban areas ans near population centers and remote communities.

The state allocated $1.5 billion to be used over ten years. The money is invested in startups and early-stage companies. California Blueprint identifies three main areas of interest for investment, and they are: 

1. Development of colleges 

The $1.5 billion Proposition 98 General Fund initiative to assist in creating colleges and career paths focusing on education, health care, technology, and climate-related industries kicks off these investments in the K-12 school system. Increase the percentage of students who choose and complete postsecondary education and training by promoting paths that allow students to transition effortlessly from high school to college and profession.

2. Climate change and workforce 

California is on the edge of the climate crisis. It has already seen devastating wildfires increase in frequency and size, among other impacts. 

Multiple workforce investments focusing on climate change are included in the Budget. This includes: 

• A $35 million General Fund to the University of California. The main reason for this investment was to create a regional workforce development and training hubs focused on climate change. 
• A $30 million General Fund to the California Community Colleges over two years to teach, grow and certify forestry professionals. 
• A $60 million General Fund for the California Workforce Development Board’s Low Car Program over three years.

3. Infrastructure Investments

The Budget adds $20 billion to last year’s record infrastructure expenditures to speed the transition to zero-emission cars, upgrade the state’s transportation system, and encourage sustainable energy innovation.

Electricity generation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in California. By investing in zero-emission renewable energy, California stands to transform the future of the state’s energy supply and tackle climate change.

Over the next five years, California is also expected to receive nearly $14 billion in new funds from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Wrap up:

California Blueprint investments include funding for clean energy and climate solutions at community colleges and other higher education institutions around the state. California Blueprint has helped support infrastructure improvements at more than 100 community colleges across the state, including buildings for new technology training programs, science labs, and much more.