Fact Brief: Can some Hollister residents receive free ‘self-generation’ upgrades to power their homes? 

The California Public Utilities Commission’s financial rebate program, known as the Self-Generation Incentive Program, covers 15 to 100 percent of the equipment and installation costs of solar and battery storage, depending on a customer’s income, location in high fire-threat districts, and reliance on electric medical equipment. 

Self-generation allows customers to generate their own renewable electricity while still using a power grid if needed. CPUC has an approved list of SGIP Developers for installation on its website. 

Funded through provisions to Assembly Bill 209 (2022), SGIP was launched in 2025 after the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund allocated $280 million of its funds to the SGIP Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget. Pacific Gas and Electric Company received $99,000,000 of these funds. 

The SGIP Advanced Payment Program offers 50 percent of the SGIP incentive upfront. Customers have one year to comply with program requirements before receiving the remaining incentive.