Retrofitting California’s older housing stock is a major challenge for electrification and resilience. In regions like San Diego—where most of the 800,000 buildings built before 1978 are ill-equipped for upgrades—homes often require extensive pre-work such as roofing repairs, panel and insulation upgrades, or appliance replacements before heat pumps and other zero-emission technologies can be installed. Each building’s unique conditions make retrofits costly and highly individualized, creating stacked barriers for low- and moderate-income homeowners. Local energy and air-quality agencies in the Inland Empire have emphasized that the transition to zero-emission housing must prioritize affordability and equity to ensure retrofit programs reduce, rather than reinforce, existing economic divides.

Many small or rural jurisdictions operate with extremely limited staff—sometimes only one or two people, or even just a part-time planner—yet they are responsible for reviewing CEQA documents, updating multiple required plan elements (housing, climate, safety), and managing complex grant applications. Without dedicated grant writers, climate specialists, or adequate planning staff, these jurisdictions struggle to develop and meaningfully integrate Climate Action Plans (CAPs) and related requirements. Existing statewide resources, such as the 500-page General Plan Guidelines, are often written for larger cities and are not user-friendly for small jurisdictions. Clearer examples, tools, and regionally relevant templates are needed to help local governments embed climate resilience, equity, and adaptation into all elements of their general plans—not just a separate “climate” chapter.

Integrate and simplify access to water, energy, and resilience incentives through user-friendly tools and “concierge” technical assistance (TA) services. Agencies and local governments should coordinate and stack funding sources behind the scenes so residents and small businesses can access a single, streamlined rebate or direct-install service. Expanding local incentive integration efforts—such as bundled programs or AI-driven platforms that match applicants with the full range of benefits—can reduce complexity, lower administrative barriers, and make multi-benefit upgrades more accessible and equitable.

High and rising electricity costs are discouraging household electrification and slowing residential decarbonization. Despite available incentives, many Californians hesitate to switch from gas to electric systems because electricity rates—driven upward by costly utility infrastructure investments and overspending—are among the highest in the nation, while gas remains comparatively cheap. As a result, about one-third of households that electrify face higher utility bills. Stakeholders also noted that energy efficiency programs, which can reduce overall energy demand and costs, remain undervalued despite their proven cost-effectiveness.

Expand affordability-focused programs that provide direct financial support for low- and middle-income and tribal households. The State should scale initiatives that subsidize utility bills, offer targeted rebates, and cover up-front retrofit and electrification costs—such as for heat pump installations—to make efficient options accessible year-round and during emergencies. Providing statewide subsidies, not just rebates, can help ensure affordability and resilience for vulnerable households.

State funding and technical assistance (TA) programs remain highly fragmented and siloed across multiple agencies, creating inefficiencies, confusion, and inequitable access for local governments and community organizations. Despite expanded opportunities through measures like Proposition 4, funding mechanisms, eligibility rules, timelines, and reporting requirements remain misaligned, leading to duplication of efforts and missed opportunities for community-led innovation. Overlapping TA programs further compound the problem, forcing applicants to navigate inconsistent systems rather than receiving coordinated, streamlined support.

Streamline and simplify applications and reporting through a faster, common-application model. Pilot a unified application within SGC—then scale statewide—to reduce administrative burden, improve visibility into opportunities and unfunded proposals, and create a more accessible, transparent funding system.