CalChoice Board of Directors Meeting
February 17, 2026
Kathy Wells, Energy Programs Manager
2025 YEAR IN REVIEW: CALCHOICE ENERGY PROGRAMS
Overview
Where We Began
Program Accomplishments
Looking Ahead
Where We Began 2025:
Programs Advisory Committee (PAC)
• Established Committee in February 2025
• PAC membership includes CalChoice
Member CCAs & CalChoice Staff
• Members participate in monthly meetings
to share ideas, discuss existing programs
progress, and explore new program
offerings
• Guide development of CalChoice energy
programs
Member-Driven Strategic Planning
Program Accomplishments
2025 Programs at-a-Glance
Equity
DAC-GT Solar
CARE/FERA
Power Choice
CARE
Energy
Efficiency
Joint CCA ETA
Energy
Efficiency
Small Business
EBD Energy
Efficiency
Residential
Solar +
Storage
Power Choice
Residential
Power Choice
Battery Retrofit
Power Choice+
C&I and Muni
Virtual
Power Plant
Distributed Energy
Management
System
Exploration
PAC Program Strategic Focus Recommendations
1. Affordability First
2. Maximize Impact with Limited Resources
3. Equity and Inclusion
4. Diversification of Programs Types
5. Support Local Climate Goals / Increase community
outreach & education
CalChoice Partnerships and Market Reach
• Joint CCA Elect to Administer Energy Efficiency
Direct Install Program
• Power Choice Distributed Microgrid
Solar+Storage Install Program
• Equitable Bldg. Electrification/Residential
Energy Efficiency Direct Install Program
• Customer Program Marketing Services
EQUITY PROGRAMS
Disadvantaged Community Green Tariff
April-May
2026
Enrollment
Activities with
Calpine
Program
Marketing with
Tripepi Smith
May-June
2026
Print and Digital
Ad Campaigns
Customer
Enrollment
Noticing
July-August
2026
1.31 MW System
Permission to Operate
Begin serving DAC
Customers
Year 1 Program Stats Forecast
• 680 eligible customers will be automatically enrolled • $174,604 total energy costs savings realized program wide • $256 annual cost savings average per customer (via 20% bill discount) Power Choice CARE
EQUITY PROGRAMS
CARE Program introduced April 2025
3-6 local channel partners installing in each active CCA Offer one combined rate/kWh for solar and storage
$2.3M reserved Residential SGIP incentive funds
SGIP sunset in December 2025
103 CARE applicants in pipeline
• PROGRAM DESIGN PRESENTED TO CALCHOICE BOARD
• PROGRAM PLAN AND BUDGET REQUEST ADVICE LETTER
SUBMITTED TO THE CPUC
• FILED SUPPLEMENTAL ADVICE LETTERS WITH CPUC
CPUC energy division staff requested clarifications on budget data received from SCE
NEXT Steps:
CPUC to vote on approval of Advice Letter in Q1. Upon
approval, CalChoice releases RFP for program implementer.
Goal to launch program by Q4 2026
$2.7M Estimated funding available for Participating
CalChoice Member Agencies (3-year Program)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS
Small Commercial Direct Install
ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS
Equity Building Decarbonization Direct Install - Residential Program Overview
● The program provides building decarbonization
upgrades for low-income and moderate-income
households in under-resourced communities in:
○ Single-family homes
○ Multi Family homes
○ Manufactured/mobile homes
● The program is administered separately in
Northern, Central, and Southern California.
● LA County leads a coalition of Community
Partners to deliver the EBD DI Program in the
Southern Region.
$280M awarded to Southern California Coalition
50 Community Based Organizations and Stakeholders in So Cal LA County Program Administrator/Coordinator with CCAs
Q2 2026 Program Launch/CCA Kickoffs
227 Customers installed/pipeline
304 Powerwalls installed/pipeline
SOLAR + STORAGE PROGRAMS
Power Choice Distributed Microgrids
✓ Power Choice Residential
✓ Power Choice Battery Retrofit
✓ Power Choice +
✓ Power Choice CARE
✓ Power Choice Renters
✓ Power Choice Referral program
✓ EV Giveaway Contest
Virtual Power Plant
• Explored DERMS
opportunity – GridShare
• Developed initial outline for
future Demand Response
Program Suite – FlexWise
• Identified Energy Storage
Systems as desired “devices”
to start with Demand
Response
2026 Looking Ahead
Distributed Energy Resources Management System
Bring
Recommendation
to Board
Lunar to provide a
high-level overview
of DERMS and
future Demand
Response program
design
CalChoice
recommends move
forward with
negotiations and
program design
Q1 2026
Programs Advisory
Committee
Subcommittee
reviewed Lunar
offering with PAC
and provided
feedback to Lunar
on CCA desired
priorities and goals
for future demand
response program
Lunar worked with
CalChoice on Main
Services Agreement
draft and
recommendation to
Board
Nov – Dec
2025
Proposal
Development
CalChoice reviewed Joint CCAs Piggy-Back documents & Lunar proposal; determined their RFP satisfies CCA’s solicitation protocols Received initial
program offering
and MSA drafts
from Lunar for PAC
Sep-Oct
2025
Discovery
Subcommittee
meetings with Lunar
Energy
Provided CCA Stats
and Desired DR
Program Goals
August 2025
Piggyback
Opportunity
Created CalChoice
Programs
Subcommittee
Engaged with
Successful Bidder
(Lunar Energy)
April 2025
DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAM SUITE – FLEXWISE
FlexWise
Saver
FlexWise
Rewards
FlexWise
Advantage
Peak Pricing
Demand Response
Rate
$ Incentive TBD
Behavioral Demand
Response Incentives
$$ Incentive TBD
Automatic Demand
Response Incentives
$$$ Incentive TBD
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
ETA EE
Supplemental
Advice Letter (AL)
filed with CPUC
TODAY
2026 2027
BOARD MEETING
Programs Year in
Review & Intro Lunar
Energy DERMS
ETA EE AL
CPUC Issues
approval
DACGT
Customer Enrollment by
Calpine
Schedule kick off calls
with CCAs
ETA EE
Award RFP &
Schedule kick off with
CCAs
BOARD MEETING
POWERCHOICE
EV Giveaway
Contest Awarded
for each CCA
EE ETA
Program
Launch
BOARD MEETING
DERMS/DR
DERMS/ DR Program Launch?
Finalize scopes of
work for Board for
approval
2026 Program Activity Forecast
EBD (Equitable Bldg.
Decarbonization)
Schedule kick off calls
with CBOs and CCAs
BOARD MEETING
DACGT
Program
Launch
ETA EE
Issue RFP for EE
Implementer
DACGT
2025/2027
Budget Filing
EBD
Program
Launch
POWERCHOICE
EV Giveaway
Contest Underway
2025 Year-in-Review Summary
➢ Successful deployment of microgrid and storage programs ➢ Equity-centered program expansion
➢ Strong member collaboration and key partnerships driving results ➢ Transition toward demand response and decarbonization Questions?