The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced on Apr. 6 the launch of RISE Homes, a $50 million statewide initiative to support the rebuilding of residential buildings destroyed or red-tagged by natural disasters since 2017. The program aims to help approximately 37,000 homeowners and rental property owners across California who have been impacted by wildfires, storms, floods, and earthquakes.
RISE Homes seeks to promote energy efficiency and climate resilience by providing financial incentives and assistance for rebuilding all-electric homes using cleaner technologies. The initiative is designed to reduce environmental impact while offering equitable access to clean energy solutions that align with California’s climate goals.
Nick Zanjani, Energy Division’s Building Decarbonization Section Supervisor at CPUC, said: “We’re really excited to see this program launch. In addition to helping families rebuild in a climate-friendly and resilient manner, this program goes a step further by also incentivizing Passive House new construction, an innovative building method that has been shown to dramatically improve energy efficiency and reduce energy bills. What we learn from this program will shape the future of new construction in very real ways.”
The RISE Homes program provides various types of support including higher incentives for low-income eligible customers as well as dedicated staff assistance throughout the rebuilding process. Incentives are available for all housing types—single-family homes, multifamily units, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), modular homes, and manufactured homes—and can be combined with funding from other programs such as the California Electric Homes Program (CalEHP). Additional bonuses are offered for features like whole home batteries or ultra-low Global Warming Potential heat pump water heaters.
Equity participants—those living in disadvantaged communities or qualifying for income-based utility programs—are eligible for increased incentive levels plus additional benefits such as insurance premium coverage and induction-compatible cookware. The program also offers pre-approved home designs aimed at reducing permitting delays and costs.
Eligible property owners whose residences have been declared uninhabitable due to natural disasters since Jan. 1, 2017 can apply through risehomesca.com if they are located within investor-owned utility regions in California.
