At the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), two advisory groups—the Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group (DACAG) and the Low-Income Oversight Board (LIOB)—play a role in shaping policies and programs aimed at supporting disadvantaged and low-income communities across California.
The DACAG was created by Senate Bill 350 in 2015 and is managed jointly by the CPUC and the California Energy Commission. This group advises on clean energy policies to ensure that California’s transition to net-zero carbon emissions is equitable. Its members include representatives from community-based organizations, advocacy groups, and tribal communities. The DACAG focuses on making sure clean energy investments such as energy efficiency and transportation electrification benefit all Californians, especially those most impacted by climate change.
“DACAG guidance is an immense resource for the CPUC in terms of advancing our energy justice work. Members are able to bring community concerns from across the State directly to decision-makers, uplifting marginalized voices and providing crucial input to help shape clean energy programs and policy,” said Zara Jamshed, CPUC Regulatory Analyst and liaison to the DACAG.
Recent topics discussed by DACAG include the state’s Equity and Access Roadmap, initiatives for clean transportation, and distributed energy resource programs. These discussions aim to support state climate goals while ensuring inclusion of all communities.
Members of DACAG include Councilman Michael Vasquez of the Pechanga Band of Indians as Tribal Representative; CPUC Commissioners Darcie L. Houck and Karen Douglas; staff from both CPUC and CEC; CEC Commissioner Noemi Gallardo; as well as Pi-Ta Pitt, Tribal Utility General Manager for Pechanga Western Electric.
The LIOB was established in 2001 with a focus on advising the CPUC about program design for low-income Californians’ access to affordable utility services including energy, water, and telecommunications. The board includes representatives from community organizations, utilities, and state agencies.
LIOB provides input on programs such as California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), which give bill discounts to eligible customers. It also oversees efforts like the Energy Savings Assistance Program that delivers free energy efficiency upgrades to income-qualified households. Additionally, LIOB works on improving outreach through multilingual resources and partnerships with community groups while collaborating with other agencies to streamline assistance across regions.
“The Low-Income Oversight Board keeps health, comfort, and safety at the center of its conversations. Its guidance helps make sure that low-income programs don’t just reduce energy use and costs on a bill but actually improve day-to-day living conditions for the households we serve,” said Jen Gordon, CPUC Low Income Oversight Board Liaison.
Both advisory bodies share a goal: helping ensure that California’s move toward cleaner energy remains fair, affordable, accessible—and that protections are strengthened for vulnerable residents throughout this process.
Their recommendations assist CPUC in reducing pollution burdens in frontline communities, expanding access to clean energy benefits statewide, strengthening protections for low-income residents, streamlining aid programs among utilities so people can get help more easily when needed—all while incorporating direct feedback from affected communities into policy decisions.
