3360 Energy Resource Conservation/Dvlmt Comm
Program Descriptions

30 - DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The Development Program conducts research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities on energy efficiency, renewable and advanced energy technologies and transportation technologies to ensure that future energy supplies are cost effective, secure and reliable, enhance environmental quality, and promote state and local economic development. The program provides technical assistance, financial assistance, direct technology research and demonstration, technology forecasting, technology analysis and evaluation, and information transfer. The program also helps energy technology companies export their technologies, products, and services to international markets and helps California companies develop international energy projects.

30.20 - Transportation Technology and Fuels:
This program ensures that adequate and reliable transportation energy is available, while balancing economic, public health, safety and environmental concerns. The program also provides analyses and options used to guide state policy and legislation to reduce petroleum consumption, and promote development of new transportation technologies and fuels that provide energy, economic, and environmental benefits to California motorists. In addition, the program provides financial incentives for the purchase of alternative fueled vehicles and buses, funding of advanced technology demonstration programs, and cost-sharing of construction of necessary supporting alternative fuel infrastructure so advanced and efficient technologies can enter the marketplace sooner. The program monitors, analyzes and reports on transportation fuel supply and production, vehicle population mixes, and transportation demand issues and trends, and maintains the California Energy Shortage Contingency Plan to respond to energy shortages and emergencies.

This program area also identifies ways in which California can help mitigate global climate change, analyzes the potential effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on California's environment and major sectors of the economy, proposes policy recommendation strategies to reduce GHG emissions, maintains the state's inventory of GHG emissions, provides technical guidance to the California Climate Action Registry (a voluntary registry that provides a means for individual entities to establish their GHG emission inventory), and participates in a joint agency climate team to develop a unified policy framework for state initiatives to maximize mitigation of and adaptation to climate change impacts.

California energy technology companies receive assistance exporting their technologies, products, and services to international markets, focusing on developing nations in Asia and Latin America. The program supports the Governor's Border Energy commitments, and helps offset the disadvantages encountered by California firms when competing with European and Japanese companies heavily supported by their governments, by identifying export opportunities, evaluating and facilitating the development of specific projects, increasing foreign buyer awareness of California's energy industry, and distributing information through conferences, publications and websites to California firms and potential foreign buyers.

Discusses, assesses, and recommends state actions to facilitate potential Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) siting applications; considers LNG penetration in the state's natural gas market; and provides information and recommendations to the administration, state agencies, natural gas market participants, and the public.

30.30 - Research and Development:
This program supports energy research and development projects not adequately addressed by competitive and regulated markets. The objective is to advance energy science and technology and deploy environmentally safe, reliable, and affordable energy services and products to Californians.

30.40 - Technology Evaluation:
This program area fosters the growth of the renewable energy market by providing production-based incentives and rebates to purchasers of renewable products, tracking and verifying renewable energy transactions, and educating the public about renewable energy.