RISE Homes: Rebuilding California Together
Across California, an estimated 37,000 homeowners and rental property owners have been impacted by natural disasters since 2017. Recognizing the need to help these Californians, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is supporting a new initiative that combines natural disaster recovery with energy efficiency to help rebuild homes using cleaner and safer technologies.
RISE Homes (Rebuilding Incentives for Sustainable Electric Homes) is a statewide CPUC initiative that supports the reconstruction of residential buildings destroyed or red-tagged due to natural disasters like wildfires, storms, floods, and earthquakes since the beginning of 2017. RISE Homes is a $50 million program that provides financial incentives, assistance, and support to rebuild all-electric, energy- efficient homes across California.
By promoting the adoption of all-electric, lower-carbon homes, RISE aims to reduce environmental impact, enhance resilience, and provide equitable access to clean energy solutions that help the state combat climate change.
“We’re really excited to see this program launch,” said Nick Zanjani, Energy Division’s Building Decarbonization Section Supervisor, “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.”
Financial Support for Rebuilding
The RISE program offers financial incentives, including higher incentives for low-income eligible customers, while simplifying the process of rebuilding through dedicated support with navigating contractors and insurance. Program offerings include:
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Incentives for All Housing: All-electric residential homes, including single-family, multifamily, ADUs, modular, and manufactured homes may qualify. The rebuild does not need to be the same type of affected home.
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Stackable Incentives: Project can combine funding from other programs, including the California Electric Homes Program (CalEHP).
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Dedicated Support: Program staff will provide support through the life of the project for applicants, builders, and other stakeholders.
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Bonus Incentives: Additional incentives are available for whole home batteries, ultra-low Global Warming Potential (GWP)heat pump water heaters, and passive house certification.
RISE aims to lower barriers to rebuild an all-electric home by providing extra incentives to equity participants, or individuals who live in a Disadvantaged Community, who qualify for an energy savings program such as California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), or have been a participant in the income-qualified programs offered by investor-owned utilities. Equity participants are eligible for 50 percent higher incentive levels. In addition, depending on housing type, equity participants will receive a first-year homeowners insurance premium, cookware compatible with induction cooktops, and an energy resiliency kit.
Navigating the Rebuilding Process
The process of rebuilding a home is complex, particularly for survivors of natural disasters. Beyond providing financial incentives, RISE Homes is a supportive partner in recovery. The program offers support staff to help participants throughout the lifecycle of the project, helping them navigate everything from insurance, to permitting, to building contractors, as well as helping connect participants to other available incentives in the state.
To help communities rebuild faster after natural disasters, RISE Homes facilitates ready-to-use, code-compliant home designs. These pre-approved, all-electric single-family plans, including a Passive House option, reduce permitting delays and lower rebuilding costs. These designs will have a focus on affordability, efficiency, and cross-jurisdiction applications.
Who Qualifies?
Homeowners can qualify for RISE Homes incentives if they meet the following criteria:
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Residential property owners in investor-owned utility regions across California.
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Residential property has been red-tagged or deemed uninhabitable by city, county, or combined jurisdiction that has declared a Local Emergency Proclamation dating back to Jan. 1, 2017.
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Residential new construction that complies with Title 24 all-electric building code.
Eligible participants can apply at risehomesca.com.
The Benefits of Rebuilding All-Electric
Rebuilding an all-electric home provides long-term affordability benefits from high-efficiency, low maintenance appliances. Further, all-electric homes benefit from cleaner air quality and safer living conditions, while reducing pollutants in alignment with the state’s emissions reductions goals.
With the launch of RISE Homes, the CPUC serves as a dedicated partner to natural disaster survivors, helping build a stronger, more resilient, and cleaner California.
By Liza Martin, Public Information Officer