Equity Strategy
Equity in Single and Multifamily Homes
Our overarching equity strategy is to address the funds, over $50 million dollars, spent annually by low-income programs for single-family homes in California and improve the process for replacing gas water heaters and furnaces in equity communities.
This strategy has three phases:
1. Create a low-income business case for heat pump fuel substitution for customers who will benefit.
2. Standardize income qualifications and equipment specifications across all low-income and equity programs.
3. Standardize cost caps, remediation, and contractor payments across all low-income and equity programs.
TECH’s Multifamily incentive offering allocates 75 percent of its budget to serve equity communities and continues to impact the lives of those living in low-income, multifamily buildings.
Equity in Our Pilots and Programs
With a 40 percent requirement for equity spending, TECH Clean California is uniquely positioned to create a significant positive influence on various income-qualified programs across California. A core imperative for the initiative is to reach income-constrained customers, as they face the most significant challenges in upgrading their living spaces and are disproportionately affected by severe weather events. Through dedicated initiatives and strategic partnerships, we are paving the way for a more equitable and sustainable future, where all Californians can access clean energy solutions and thrive in a safe and resilient environment.
Our Partners in Equity
ESA is an income-qualified energy efficiency program operated through each of the California IOUs and overseen by the California Public Utility Commission. Our Equity Pilot utilizes funds to fundamentally alter the PG&E Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Repair and Replacement Program, the arm of ESA that installs gas furnaces and water heaters. We will test installing heat pump HVAC and heat pump water heater instead of gas units through the ESA program.
Full home electrification in areas with no gas service. TECH Clean California provided supplemental funding for currently ineligible expenses and identified common barriers to low-income customer participation.
TECH Clean California funds cover incremental costs of remediation and minor home repair required to install advanced high-efficiency measures, such as the heat pump water heater and HVAC technologies, in single family homes. Eligible remediation costs include insulation and ductwork as long as the same measures are not being claimed/paid through ESA.
TECH Clean California funds cover incremental costs of remediation and minor home repair required to install advanced high-efficiency measures, such as the heat pump water heater, in PG&E’s service territory.
TECH Clean California funds cover incremental costs of remediation and minor home repair required to install clean space and water heating measures in Southern California Edison’s service area.
TECH Clean California funds are utilized to leverage the LIWP Farmworker Housing program administered by the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD), to test whether combining heat pump water heaters and solar installation will accelerate the adoption and installation of heat pump water heaters in farmworker housing.