• $10 million was recently granted to a clean energy development project in Los Angeles County.
• Developers kept sharp eyes on state government newsletters so they would be ready to pounce on grant opportunities.
• California isn’t the only state funding clean energy projects.

In some rare good news for the clean energy sector, Quino Energy and Long Hill Energy Partners, a water-based flow battery developer and a clean energy developer, respectively, have been awarded a $10 million grant from the California Energy Commission. The funding will support the development of an 8 megawatts per hour flow battery energy storage project for the High Desert Regional Health Center (HDRHC) in Los Angeles County.

“Once installed, the flow battery will provide critical energy resiliency and is also projected to save up to $10 million in energy costs for LA County’s hospital,” said Ed Chiao, managing director of Long Hill Energy Partners in a statement.

Funded through the Commission’s Energy Research and Development Division’s Electric Program Investment Charge Program, the battery is expected to last 20 years. The distinguishing feature of flow batteries, which gives them that longer life, is electrolyte tanks. These store energy that can be dispensed as needed.

Discovering the opportunity was simple enough, said Eugene Beh, Quino Energy CEO and founder.

“We are subscribed to news about grant funding opportunities from the California Energy Commission,” said Beh, “so we knew about it and then talked with Long Hill Energy Partners to partner up.”

One factor that drew Quino to Long Hill Energy was their progress regarding a project site.

“The HDRHC was a site we had earlier identified as an ideal candidate to host a technology demonstration project,” said Chiao, explaining that the anticipated long-term economic benefits of the project impressed Los Angeles County enough to secure permitting.

The state-funded project opens doors for other opportunities. Once Quino’s flow battery is installed at the health center, a nearby solar carport will be expanded to connect to the same grid and feed solar energy into the center. Quino and Long Hill Energy’s project provided solar companies and local contractors the additional work.

In a time when federal monies for clean energy technology is practically non-existent, state-level funding is an attractive alternative. Quino Energy and Long Hill Energy Partners are not California’s first clean energy investment this year. The state awarded $500 million towards a zero-emission school bus program, and its energy commission is accepting applications for a Rural Electric Vehicle Charging 2.0 grant, which will award up to $10 million in funds for light-duty electric vehicle charging infrastructure in rural California.

And California isn’t the only state with funds for clean energy projects. All 50 have various funding opportunities for local businesses. Pennsylvania, for example, has its Renewable Energy Program, which provides grants to promote the use of geothermal and wind energy, while Maryland just closed applications for its FY25 Solar Canopy and Dual Use Technology Grant Program.

And Beh noted that “there are other grants in New York which could be in scope.”