Climate change: research, development, and demonstration: financial assistance.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and implement the Electric Program Investment Charge program for the purpose of awarding funds to projects that may lead to technological advancement and breakthroughs to overcome barriers that prevent the achievement of the state's statutory energy goals and that may result in a portfolio of projects that are strategically focused and sufficiently narrow to make advancement on the most significant technological challenges. Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and administer the Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Program to provide support for a full range of research, development, and demonstration activities to advance energy science or technologies that, as determined by the commission, are not adequately provided for by competitive and regulated energy markets. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish a new model for providing agile financial assistance for research, development, and demonstration of climate change mitigation technologies with transformational potential.