In our very first “ETB Ask an Expert” interview series we explored the topic of SGIP, the Self Generation Incentive Program in California, which is the longest-running and most lucrative behind-the-meter energy storage incentive program in the country. The SGIP program was recently re-upped with $675 million dollars of additional funding and has undergone numerous changes so there was a lot to discuss.

Our guest expert is Scott Murtishaw, the Sr. Advisor of Regulatory Affairs at CALSSA (California Solar & Storage Association). Scott is indisputably one of the biggest SGIP policy experts in the state, having worked on SGIP program rules going back over 10 years from his days at the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission).

In our interview with Scott, we focus mostly on current day SGIP issues, including a few controversial topics. We discuss: how Senate Bill 700 legislation got done, how SGIP reservation activity has looked since the window re-opened this year, how many projects are currently stuck on an SGIP waitlist and if those projects will ever get funded, how the Equity Resiliency budget got such a huge carveout from the CPUC, and what CALSSA thinks about shifting around program funds to meet the demand for shovel ready projects.