Is the SGIP battery rebate still available in California in 2026?
Most SGIP battery budgets were scheduled through 2025. The income-qualified solar and storage equity budget remains, but it shows a waitlist.
If a battery quote subtracts an SGIP rebate from the price, check it before you sign. The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) once paid California homeowners thousands of dollars toward home batteries, but most of its residential budgets were set to run only through 2025. One budget for low-income households remains, and it shows a waitlist.
What SGIP is. SGIP is a California Public Utilities Commission program that gives rebates for batteries and some other equipment installed at homes and businesses. It is run by program administrators for each utility area: PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, the Center for Sustainable Energy for SDG&E customers, and LADWP.
What ended. On its SGIP page, the CPUC lists the Equity Resiliency budget ($1,000 per kWh), the Small Residential Storage budget ($150 per kWh) and the San Joaquin Valley Residential budget ($1,100 per kWh) as available through 2025.
What remains. The Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget pays $1,100 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of battery storage and $3,100 per kilowatt (kW) of solar. The CPUC says it is available to any low-income residential electric or gas customer in California, with additional rules in the SGIP Handbook. Reservations opened June 2, 2025. As an example, a 13.5 kWh battery at $1,100 per kWh would work out to $14,850, which shows why this budget is so popular.
Is there money left? On October 9, 2026, the SGIP waitlist page showed the Residential Solar and Storage Equity (AB 209) budget with a waitlist at the Center for Sustainable Energy, SCE, SoCalGas, PG&E and LADWP. A waitlist means new applications wait for funds to free up, for example when earlier reservations are cancelled. Nobody can promise when, or whether, that happens.
Rules to know if you do apply. Every applicant has one year after reserving funds to meet program requirements, including enrolling in a qualified demand response program, which lets the battery help the grid at certain times. The CPUC says to start with an installer, who can help with the application, or with your utility's administrator. It links to an approved developer list but does not endorse any installer.
How to read a quote. Ask the installer to show the price with and without SGIP, and whether the project is reserved or only waitlisted. If the numbers only work with a rebate that has not been reserved, treat the rebate as uncertain. For decisions about your own finances, a trusted advisor can help.
A next step for today: email your utility's SGIP administrator (for example selfgen@pge.com, SGIPGroup@sce.com or sgip@energycenter.org for SDG&E customers) and ask for the current status of the equity budget in your area.
Sources
Facts were checked against these sources when the post was written. Details can change, so check them for the latest.