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California Grow Light Rebates in 2026: SCE, PG&E, SMUD, LADWP and SDG&E

Writer: Grower's Choice AG
Grower's Choice AG
24 hours ago
6 min read

California has some of the most specific horticulture LED rebates in the country, and some of the strictest. The two big investor-owned utilities both publish per-fixture amounts for grow lights in 2026, and both set an efficacy floor well above the DLC minimum. Municipal utilities such as SMUD and LADWP, and SDG&E's agricultural program, work differently.

Everything below comes from each program's own page or form, checked November 9, 2026. Programs change every year, so confirm with the program before you order.

Southern California Edison: AgEE program

SCE's Agriculture Energy Efficiency (AgEE) program is implemented by ICF for SCE customers. Its 2026 per-fixture table for indoor horticulture LEDs:

Arrangement

Crop phase

Under 300 W

300 W and up

600 W and up

900 W and up

Greenhouse

Flowering or propagation/veg

$14

$35

$50

$85

Non-stacked

Flowering

$18

$50

$70

$105

Non-stacked

Propagation/veg

$16

$50

$70

$100

Stacked

Flowering

$18

$50

$70

$105

Stacked

Propagation/veg

$16

$50

$70

$100

To be eligible in 2026, LEDs must be qualified under DLC Horticultural V4.0 (or later) and have a PPE of at least 3.24 µmol/J.

Other AgEE requirements from the program's pages:

  • The business must be listed under NAICS code 11 and have an active SCE service account. Processing and drying facilities must be co-located with growing operations.

  • No SCE incentive on the same equipment in the past five years.

  • Equipment must be new, purchased and installed between January 1 and December 31, 2026, and installed by a contractor with the appropriate CSLB license.

  • Efficiency must exceed California Title 20 and Title 24 standards.

  • A preapproval checklist for indoor horticulture LEDs is submitted with a signed application and supporting documents.

  • Funds are first come, first served, and the program can change without notice.

Projects outside the table can use AgEE's custom path, paid at $0.43 per unit of Total System Benefit (TSB).

2027 is coming: the floor rises to 3.38 µmol/J

AgEE has already published its 2027 table, available starting January 1, 2027. Amounts go up, for example $20 for an under-300 W non-stacked flowering fixture and $125 for 900 W and up, but eligible LEDs must reach 3.38 µmol/J. A fixture that qualifies in 2026 at 3.24 to 3.37 µmol/J will not qualify for the 2027 prescriptive table. If you are close to the line, the purchase and install dates matter.

PG&E: AESAP grow lighting rebates

PG&E's Agriculture Energy Savings Action Plan (AESAP) offers $9 to $70 per fixture for eligible grow lighting, depending on project type, for new construction or added load and for lighting replacement.

  • Fixtures must be on the DLC Horticultural QPL. The program page lists a tested efficacy of at least 3.24 µmol/J; the intake form on the same page says the fixture must be DLC listed with at least 2.86 µmol/J PPE. Confirm which floor applies to your project before you commit.

  • The project must be associated with an active PG&E electric meter.

  • Rebates are subject to availability and are not guaranteed until the project is verified by field staff and approved for payment by PG&E.

SMUD (Sacramento)

SMUD's cannabis operations page sends retrofit projects to its Custom Incentives program and new spaces to its Integrated Design Solutions program. SMUD's cannabis operations flyer (revised July 2022, still posted by SMUD) lists a $200 per-fixture incentive for replacing a 1,000 W HPS fixture with a roughly 600 W LED one-for-one, with these conditions:

  • Signed application and SMUD approval before you purchase equipment or start work; only projects with a signed reservation of funds are guaranteed.

  • Fixtures must be on the DLC Horticultural QPL (fixtures not categorized on the QPL may still be eligible; ask SMUD).

  • Mixed-light greenhouses are excluded from the per-fixture amount; SMUD calculates those at $0.10 per kWh.

  • Incentives are limited to 50% of project cost, with a $50,000 maximum for indoor horticultural LED lighting.

Because that flyer dates from 2022, confirm the current offer with SMUD's Cannabis Operations team before relying on it.

LADWP (Los Angeles)

LADWP's Business Offerings for Sustainable Solutions (BOSS) program covers LED horticultural lighting through a horticultural lighting workbook rather than a published per-fixture table. Incentives are calculated on savings beyond Title 24. Its supplemental form sets rules that go past a DLC listing:

  • Fixtures must be on the DLC QPL and meet the DLC horticultural requirements in effect at the time of application.

  • Every proposed product must also have a power factor of at least 0.9 and total harmonic distortion of 20% or less. LADWP warns that some DLC-listed products test outside those limits and are not eligible.

  • All projects need LADWP approval and a pre-installation verification before you remove existing equipment or install anything.

  • Projects not completed within 12 months of approval may be cancelled. Payment can take 8 to 12 weeks after post-installation verification.

SDG&E (San Diego)

SDG&E routes agricultural customers to AgEASY, implemented by Cascade Energy. AgEASY pays custom incentives on calculated savings rather than a per-fixture table. Its published rates include $0.15 per kWh for add-on equipment or accelerated replacement (4 to 10 year measure life, capped at 75% of full measure cost) and $0.25 per kWh for normal replacement or capacity expansion (11 to 20 year measure life, capped at 100% of incremental measure cost); base incentives for to-code custom projects are capped at 50% of those rates. Custom projects must be pre-approved before purchase and installation. Eligible businesses include crop production (NAICS 111) and support activities for crop production in SDG&E territory that pay the Public Purpose Program charge.

Which Grower's Choice fixtures fit

The numbers that decide California eligibility are the DLC listing and the tested PPE. On our line, the AG-140 R80 Red Enhanced under canopy bar is DLC listed and rated 3.25 µmol/J, which clears the 3.24 µmol/J floor for 2026 at SCE and on PG&E's program page. The AG-140 3K Full Phase is also DLC listed, but at 3.0 µmol/J it falls below that 3.24 µmol/J floor. Neither AG-140 version reaches SCE's 3.38 µmol/J floor for 2027.

At 140 W, the AG-140 falls in SCE's under-300 W bracket: $18 per fixture for non-stacked or stacked flowering in 2026. The program decides how your room's arrangement is classified, and it uses the tested value on the QPL, not the spec sheet, so check the exact model number on the DLC QPL.

What it is worth on a real project

A 20-bed flower room with 4 AG-140 R80 Red Enhanced bars per 4 x 8 ft bed is 80 bars. Under SCE's 2026 table (flowering, under 300 W) that is 80 x $18 = $1,440, against about $11,120 of bars at our $139 price, roughly 13% back. For small-wattage bars the rebate is modest; the energy use and the lower canopy yield carry most of the business case. Our R80 Red vs Full Phase comparison explains why the spectrum choice matters for rebates.

Order of operations

  1. Identify your utility and program, and for SCE confirm your account is under NAICS 11.

  2. Check the exact model number on the DLC QPL and its tested PPE against the program's floor; for LADWP, check power factor and THD too.

  3. Get a lighting layout with fixture counts, wattage and room arrangement. A free light plan covers this.

  4. Submit the application or preapproval package and get written approval before you issue a purchase order.

  5. Install with a licensed contractor, keep itemized invoices, and complete post-installation verification.

How we help

Our fixtures are ETL listed, and both AG-140 spectrums (R80 Red Enhanced and 3K Full Phase) are DLC listed. With a free light plan we show which of our fixtures fit your utility's rules, which bracket they fall in, and what the paperwork will ask for. You submit the application, and the program decides the incentive.

See the AG-140 Under Canopy LED Kit, browse under canopy lights, or read the grow light rebates guide for how other states pay.

Sources

Checked November 9, 2026. Confirm current terms with each program before you rely on any figure.

FAQ

How much are California grow light rebates in 2026?

SCE's AgEE program lists $14 to $105 per horticultural LED fixture for 2026, by wattage, arrangement and crop phase. PG&E's AESAP lists $9 to $70 per fixture.

What efficacy do California grow light rebates require?

SCE's AgEE requires DLC Horticultural V4.0 or later and at least 3.24 µmol/J in 2026, rising to 3.38 µmol/J in 2027. PG&E's program page lists 3.24 µmol/J, while its intake form says 2.86 µmol/J, so confirm with the program.

Do I need preapproval for a California grow light rebate?

Usually, yes. AgEE uses a preapproval checklist, LADWP requires approval and a pre-installation verification, SMUD requires approval before purchase, and SDG&E's AgEASY custom projects must be pre-approved.

Does LADWP pay rebates on LED grow lights?

Yes, through its BOSS program, calculated on savings beyond Title 24. Fixtures must be DLC listed and also have a power factor of at least 0.9 and THD of 20% or less.

Does the AG-140 qualify for California rebates?

The AG-140 R80 Red Enhanced is DLC listed and rated 3.25 µmol/J, which meets the 3.24 µmol/J floor for 2026 at SCE and on PG&E's program page. The 3K Full Phase version is also DLC listed, but at 3.0 µmol/J it is below the 3.24 µmol/J floor. Neither meets SCE's 3.38 µmol/J floor for 2027.

 
 
 

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