California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing Pilot Programs
Designed to help California achieve its energy efficiency goals by making attractive financing available for energy efficiency investments throughout the state.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing pilot programs, please contact cheef@treasurer.ca.gov or (916) 651-8157.
Highlights
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About the California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing (CHEEF)
CAEATFA administers the CHEEF pilot programs as part of a public-private partnership among state agencies and investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to help California meet its energy savings goals by increasing private investment in energy efficiency retrofits. By the authority of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), IOU ratepayer funds support administration of the CHEEF programs as well as a credit enhancement for participating finance companies. The residential program also receives funding for administration and a credit enhancement from California gas corporation ratepayers through the TECH Clean California Initiative (learn more on our Additional Funding landing page). Access to the credit enhancement, which takes the form of a loss reserve fund that functions like insurance in the event of default, allows finance companies to offer more attractive financing to a broader base of customers. In turn, more Californians are able to undertake energy efficiency improvements for their homes and businesses. This mechanism for leveraging private capital is at the heart of the CHEEF programs.
The pilots seek to determine whether financing can yield the same type of energy savings as traditional utility rebates and incentives. Additionally, the pilots will test how on-bill repayment (OBR), through which customers can repay loans via their monthly utility bills, may encourage program uptake as well as improve loan performance. OBR functionality for the small business program, GoGreen Business, launched in early 2022.
The residential program, formerly known as REEL and now called GoGreen Home, completed its two-year pilot phase in 2018 and was approved by the CPUC to transition to a full program in April 2020. GoGreen Business was launched in 2019 and will be evaluated at the end of its two-year pilot phase. The affordable multifamily program, GoGreen Multifamily, opened for business in 2019 and will enter the pilot phase upon its first project enrollment.
GoGreenFinancing.com is the public face of the CHEEF programs. Here, California residents and business owners can connect with participating contractors and finance companies in an online marketplace designed to make energy efficiency upgrades simple and attainable.
In August 2021, the names of the CHEEF programs were changed to more closely align with the GoGreen Financing platform. The Residential Energy Efficiency Loan (REEL) Assistance program became GoGreen Home Energy Financing, the Small Business Energy Efficiency Financing (SBF) program became GoGreen Business Energy Financing, and the Affordable Multifamily Energy Efficiency Financing (AMF) program became GoGreen Affordable Multifamily Energy Financing.