Last updated November 15, 2023
First posted March 10, 2022
ANNOUNCEMENTS
November 15, 2023 – The Draft Phase 2 Solicitation document is now available:
Program Background
The Department of Conservation received a $50M allocation in the Budget Act of 2022 (SB 154, CH. 43, SEC. 2.0) focused on creating carbon-negative hydrogen and/or liquid fuel from forest biomass coming from forest vegetation management within California's Sierra Nevada.
The Department is administering this grant program in close coordination with the California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the California Air Resources Board, as well as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Governor's Office of Planning and Research, California Public Utilities Commission, U.S. Forest Service, Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, and California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank.
The impetus behind this program is to address serious and significant issues of forest health and wildfire risk in the Sierra Nevada, as well as to provide a model for sustainable rural economic opportunity combined with environmental health, fossil fuel replacement, community safety, forest resilience, carbon storage, and many other complementary co-benefits.
For more information, view the Summer 2023 Program Fact Sheet [PDF].
Program Listserv
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Phase 1: Project Development
On September 1, 2022, the Phase 1 Solicitation and Guidelines document [PDF] was published, announcing the availability of up to eight $500,000 grants.
With input from the interagency team, the Department of Conservation selected eight Phase 1 applicants for funding in December of 2022. After the thirty-day notification period to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, Director Shabazian signed the program's Forest Biomass to Carbon-Negative Biofuels Phase 1 Awards List [PDF]. The Phase 1 awards will run through March 2024, supporting a diverse range of development and planning activities across the state.
Learn more about our grantees:
Phase 2: Implementation
Phase 2 of the pilot program will offer funding for facility construction, and will include financial commitments to up to four individual projects of up to $20 million. Solicitation development will commence this summer in a collaborative process with numerous opportunities for stakeholder and Tribal input.
For more information, view the Summer 2023 Program Fact Sheet [PDF].
Workshops and Events
Request for Information Workshops
In order to receive input from potential applicants and the public regarding the draft eligibility and evaluation criteria expected in the Program's Phase 2 Solicitation, the Department of Conservation hosted a Request for Information (RFI) Workshop August 30 for the general public and another on September 12 for California Native American Indian Tribes.
Potential applicants and interested parties are encouraged to submit written comments and questions regarding the Phase 2 solicitation to DOCForestBiofuelsPilot@conservation.ca.gov.
A recording of the August 30 workshop is available at Forest Biofuels Phase 2 RFI Workshop on YouTube.
Financing Biomass Energy Facilities Workshop
The Department of Conservation, in collaboration with the California Energy Commission and the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, hosted a Financing Biomass Energy Facilities Workshop on September 6, 2023. This small business financing workshop targeted emerging entrepreneurs, startups, and community and non-profit revitalization groups entering the field of forest-sourced woody biomass utilization, bioenergy, and biofuels development.
A video recording of the workshop can be found on YouTube at Financing Biomass Energy Facilities Workshop.
Feedstock Supply Plan Development Workshop
The Department of Conservation, in collaboration with CAL FIRE, TSS Consultants, the U.S. Forest Service, and Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, held an interactive Feedstock Supply Plan Workshop on May 25, 2023.
A video recording of the workshop can be found on YouTube at Biomass Feedstock Supply Plan Development Workshop.
Phase 1 Solicitation Webinar
A public webinar to review the solicitation document was held on September 15, 2022 to highlight changes in the final solicitation and answer questions from the audience. Technical questions specific to the solicitation document can be found in the Phase 1 Technical Questions and Answers [PDF].
A video recording of the September 15 webinar is available at Forest Biofuels Solicitation Review Webinar on YouTube.
If you have additional questions or input you’d like to provide, we welcome your written comments. These may be sent to our program email address (DOCForestBiofuelsPilot@conservation.ca.gov).
Web page by:
Department of Conservation - Natural and Working Lands Framework
