California Air Resources Board

Access Clean California built and supports a statewide network of outreach partners located in disadvantaged communities who provide coordinated outreach for the State’s many consumer-focused clean transportation incentives programs. Access Clean California partners with community-based organizations who are trusted voices in their communities and provides them with funding and other resources to support their outreach efforts. One resource provided by Access Clean California is centralized application webtool, called the Benefits Finder, that helps outreach partners simplify the often complex and time-consuming process of finding and applying to multiple incentive programs. Outreach partners also have access to the Resource Hub, which compiles and translates outreach and educational materials for multiple incentive programs in a user-friendly, searchable database. The Access Clean California customer care system also provides proactive, human-based support for those that may need additional help and/or advocacy to ensure their applications get completed.  A public version of the Benefits Finder is hosted on the Access Clean California web-platform and can be used by any Californian to help find relevant clean transportation and clean energy incentive programs.

Who is Eligible

Access Clean California does not directly fund incentives but instead provides resources to nonprofits, community-based organizations (CBOs), and similar grassroots organizations to conduct outreach and help families in low-income and disadvantaged communities learn about, apply for, and participate in clean transportation and clean energy incentive programs.

How it’s Administered

Access Clean California is administered by GRID Alternatives, selected via competitive solicitation by CARB in 2018. GRID Alternatives works with CARB to identify and formalize partnerships with nonprofits, CBOs, and similar grassroots organizations that conduct outreach and help applicants navigate the streamlined application processes for clean transportation and clean energy incentives.

Where and When it’s Offered

Access Clean California does not directly provide incentives, rather it is a grant program focused on supporting coordinated outreach for CARB’s equity-focused incentive programs, as well as other consumer-focused, clean transportation and energy incentives.

Project Funding or Participation Requirements

When funding is available, Access Clean California will be looking to identify and partner with community-based organizations to conduct outreach in priority communities. Access Clean California provides outreach partners funding and resources to help conduct their outreach activities. Ideal outreach partners will be grassroots-level organizations located in underprivileged communities who are capable of using funding provided by Access Clean California to conduct outreach on behalf of CARB. For organizations who don’t yet have the capacity to conduct outreach, Access Clean California also periodically implements a pilot capacity building grant project. Through this pilot, organizations gain the necessary competencies to conduct outreach, and are put on a path to eventually become formal outreach partners with access to longer-term outreach funding.

Announcements and Upcoming Activities

The latest round of funding for Access Clean California was allocated in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Funding Plan and will be awarded via a competitive solicitation, which closed April 2024. CARB is currently evaluating applications and will announce the outcome of this solicitation by July 2024. Please visit the Grant Solicitations website for more information and updates on this solicitation.