Solar, Storage, Enviros Square Off Against Gas for California SGIP Dollars
California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program is a generous subsidy intended to spur development of low-emissions distributed generation.
But the complicated calculation of just what qualifies as “low emissions” has been the subject of lively debate at the California Public Utilities Commission of late, since the calculation could exclude fuel cells or small gas engines from qualifying.
The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) was reauthorized by Governor Jerry Brown last year and will continue to provide $83 million per year (through 2019) in upfront and performance-based incentives for eligible behind-the-meter generation technologies. These include wind, gas turbines, combined heat and power, advanced energy storage, biogas and fuel cells.
Meeting that emissions threshold is crucial for a number of fuel cell (and energy storage) startups whose California business plans rely heavily on the SGIP.
