EBD Key Goals & Wins

The Equitable Building Decarbonization (EBD) Program, led by the California Energy Commission (CEC), is a statewide initiative designed to accelerate building electrification while prioritizing low-income and under resourced communities. The program aims to deliver no or low cost, whole-home upgrades that replace fossil fuel systems with clean electric technologies, while improving health, safety, affordability, and quality of life. This is one of the largest equitable decarbonization investments in the country, with three regional implementors in Northern California, Central Valley, and Southern California. Taking a community-based delivery modeling approach, requiring CBO partnerships, ensuring the program access is available within priority communities, while building log term clean energy workforce capacity.

Primary Goals:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings

• Advance energy equity for low-income households

Core Program Wins:

• Whole-Home, Direct Install Model

  • Provides comprehensive retrofits at no cost to eligible households

  • Moves beyond fragmented programs, delivering full solutions not a single measure.

• Equity- First Design

  • Targets:

    • Disadvantaged communities

    • Low-income households (80%AMI)

  • Investment Requirements

    • 65% in disadvantaged communities

    • 90% in priority populations

• Required Electrification Outcomes

  • Mandatory:

    • Heat pump installation (space or water heating)

    • At least 2 of 4 end uses electrified (heating, water heating, cooking, drying) working towards real decarbonization, not incremental upgrades.

• Health, Safety, & Quality of Life Improvements

  • Removes combustion appliances, leading to improved indoor air quality

    • Adds cooling (heat resilience), ventilation & filtration, remediation (mold, asbestos,etc) Shifting the program success beyond just “energy savings,” into human outcomes.