From billion-dollar incentive programs to autonomous electric aircraft already in the field, the state is accelerating the zero-emissions transition. Here’s how entrepreneurs and businesses are collaborating with CARB – and how you can get involved.

California’s clean energy transition isn’t just a policy agenda – it’s an active, funded, and fast-moving collaboration between state agencies, entrepreneurs, fleet operators, and communities. At a recent Clean Start Perspectives webinar, Matt Williams of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) pulled back the curtain on how the state is investing in zero-emissions heavy-duty transportation and aviation, and what it means for innovators ready to build the future.

The takeaway was clear: the state doesn’t build these technologies – it needs businesses and entrepreneurs to step up, partner in, and help shape what comes next.

Billions on the Line: How California Funds the Transition

CARB’s Clean Transportation Incentives portfolio has already invested billions of dollars in pre-commercial and early commercial clean technologies. The flagship Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project alone has deployed over a billion dollars since 2009, making it easier for fleet operators to purchase zero-emission trucks through straightforward dealer-managed vouchers.

Then there’s the SHIFT program – the Sustainable Heavy-Duty Initiatives for Future Technology – which has allocated over $600 million across more than 40 projects and deployed over 700 vehicles and pieces of equipment. SHIFT has funded world firsts: a battery-electric locomotive, a hydrogen ferry in the San Francisco Bay, battery-electric port tugs, and carbon capture systems. These aren’t concept sketches – they’re technologies operating in the field today.

“All of the technology that is now finally ready for applications in aviation were developed and cut their teeth in light-duty and then heavy-duty vehicles.”

-Matt Williams, CARB

Importantly, SHIFT’s impact extends well beyond the initial grant. The battery-electric locomotive, for instance, was a world first when CARB funded it. The manufacturer has since produced a second generation and sold units globally – proof that California’s public investment can catalyze entire markets.

Electric Aircraft Are Already in the Air

One of the most exciting developments is CARB’s first-ever aviation demonstration project: a partnership with PICA, whose Pelican Spray drone – a fully autonomous, electric fixed-wing aircraft with a 40-foot wingspan – is now operating on farms near Stockton, California. Five aircraft will be deployed in total, spraying crops with less chemical and less drift than traditional piloted air tractors. Because they’re autonomous and battery-powered with hot-swappable batteries, they can fly at night when winds are calmer, and operate nearly around the clock.

These aircraft are already commercially available and FAA-certified. The demonstration project is collecting public data on durability, performance, and feasibility – data that will help other companies and operators adopt the technology. PICA is also developing larger platforms aimed at rural cargo delivery and emergency response, opening the door to a future where autonomous electric aircraft bring medical supplies to remote communities faster than any ground vehicle could.

Meanwhile, companies like Joby Aviation are in the final stages of FAA type certification for battery-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, with a hydrogen-powered variant also in flight testing. The zero-emissions aviation industry, as Williams put it, has seemingly appeared all at once – the result of decades of investment in battery, powertrain, and efficiency technologies that are finally mature enough to leave the ground.

Why Businesses Need to Engage Now

Here’s the reality: CARB’s funding comes from the state legislature, and it’s not guaranteed year to year. The SHIFT program, for instance, currently has no new appropriation. That means the single most important thing entrepreneurs and business leaders can do is advocate for continued investment – by talking to their legislators, engaging with CARB’s public process, and making the case for why these programs matter.

Matt Williams’ Advice for Clean Tech Startups

Find your tribe. Build relationships with companies aligned with your mission – partners, potential customers, and collaborators who make your team stronger.
Start building your project team early. The best SHIFT proposals were developed long before any solicitation was released. You need an eligible grantee – a California nonprofit, air district, or government entity – so start those conversations now.
Don’t go it alone. Small companies don’t have the bandwidth to track every shifting regulation and incentive program. Partnering with larger organizations helps you stay informed and ready when opportunities arise.
Prepare to scale regardless. Build your company as if the funding is coming. When it does, you’ll already have the plan in place.

Williams was candid about the challenge of navigating state bureaucracy as a small company. Even with a decade of state experience, he acknowledged that compliance and program participation are genuinely difficult. The solution? Community. Collaboration. Shared knowledge. That’s exactly the kind of ecosystem Clean Start exists to support.

The Regulatory Frontier: Clean Aviation Takes Shape

Beyond incentives, CARB is exploring regulatory pathways through the Statewide Clean Aviation Initiative. This effort is looking at reducing emissions from ground support equipment, auxiliary power units, and aircraft ground operations at California airports. The initiative is still early – workshops and board consideration are expected in 2027 – which means now is the time to get involved and shape the rules before they’re written.

On sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), CARB is partnering with industry to increase production and use. But Williams was straightforward: SAF reduces greenhouse gas emissions, not the thermal NOx and particulate matter that harm communities near airports. It’s a bridge, not a destination. The long-term goal remains truly zero-emission flight.

Get Involved – Here’s How

California’s clean energy transition works because people participate. Businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals engaging with agencies, air districts, and legislators is what drives better policy and smarter investment. Here’s where to start:

Connect with Clean Start

Join the community of clean tech entrepreneurs and innovators at CleanStart.org. Attend our meetups on the grid, mobility, and generation – and find us on LinkedIn. We connect founders with the knowledge, relationships, and community they need to get things done.

Engage with CARB

Sign up for CARB’s Clean Transportation Incentives mailing list to get notified about workshops, work groups, and the annual funding plan. Search for the Statewide Clean Aviation Initiative to join the regulatory conversation early.

Talk to Your Legislators

CARB’s budget comes from the legislature. If you believe in the clean energy transition, tell your representatives. Advocate for continued funding of programs like SHIFT that turn ideas into working technology.

Reach Out to Your Air District

Local air districts are key partners in demonstration projects and can connect you with funding opportunities. Whether you’re working on SAF, electric aviation, or ground equipment – your air district wants to hear from you.

As Thomas Hall, Clean Start’s Executive Director, put it at the close of the webinar: the state doesn’t manufacture zero-emission aircraft or trucks – it needs entrepreneurs and businesses to bring those solutions forward. And the thing that makes California work is everyone participating: businesses and individuals engaging with agencies like CARB, local air districts, and the legislature.

The momentum is real. The funding mechanisms exist. The technologies are flying. The question is whether you’ll be at the table when the next chapter of California’s clean energy story gets written.

Find us at CleanStart.org and on LinkedIn. Don’t miss our upcoming events – including meetups on the grid, mobility, and generation, plus Climate Week in San Francisco.