Developing Lessons Learned, Best Practices, Training Materials, and Guidebooks for Customer Side of the Meter Energy Storage
The project engaged stakeholders and began drafting the energy storage permitting best practices guidebook.
Center for Sustainable Energy
Recipient
San Diego, CA
Recipient Location
39th
Senate District
78th
Assembly District
$890,964
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
As of February 2026, the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has published both a draft and the final version of the Energy Storage Permitting Guidebook (available here: https://www.energy.ca.gov/publications/2023/california-energy-storage-p…). This final version of the Guidebook incorporated comments from the technical advisory committee as well as from attendees of the second public vetting workshop, held in September 2025.
Beginning in 2026, CSE, in coordination with the CEC, began implementing its guidebook updates and maintenance plan, in order to keep the contents of the guidebook up to date going forward. It will also continue to carry out its marketing and dissemination plan to better transfer the research presented in the guidebook. As part of this effort, CSE will host a series of training webinars designed to inform relevant stakeholders on the best uses of the guidebook and its resources.
The Issue
While behind-the-meter (BTM) energy storage is experiencing rapid technological advancement, cost reductions, and customer adoption through advanced initiatives and programs, energy storage permitting practices in California lack standardized processes among the 500+ local governments responsible for permitting all BTM energy storage systems. This lack of standardization makes permitting costs higher and can result in significant delays in project deployment.
Project Innovation
The project's goal is to develop a guidebook with concise, replicable permitting best practices for diverse types of BTM energy storage technologies that Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and industry can use to develop standardized, streamlined permitting processes. The best practices will be developed using input gathered from key stakeholders such as permitting officials, energy storage developers, first responders, and codes and standards professionals. The recipient will also ensure that interested parties receive training and guidance on the best uses of the guidebook and its resources.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
This project will result in a replicable, actionable set of guidelines that AHJs can implement and modify to meet local needs. This will be done via a standardized permitting review and approval process created for BTM energy storage systems. Stakeholders throughout the state will provide input for guidebook content and help disseminate best practices of energy storage permitting.
Affordability
Streamlining and standardizing the permitting process for behind the meter energy storage will save customers, permitting authorities, and builders and contractors time and money.
Consumer Appeal
By providing a user-friendly approach to permitting, the guidebook reduces the barrier to entry for parties interested in adopting energy storage, making it easier to implement more clean energy solutions.
Key Project Members
Dema Tzamaras
Subrecipients
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Guidehouse Inc.
California Solar and Storage Association
Match Partners
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Center for Sustainable Energy
