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In this episode of Chef AF, I chat with Andrew Gibson, Senior Manager at Energy Solutions about the California Instant Rebate Program and how it can lower operating costs with high efficiency equipment. Gibson oversees all of the food service outreach. He works directly with the market to help them understand rebates. Gibson trains the market on how rebates are beneficial, how they help the environment and how it can help the health and welfare of communities.

I ask Gibson to explain how the program works and he says, “the California Instant Rebate Program is a midstream food service program. It just started last April and it's delivered really reliable and cost-effective savings to our customers that are purchasing food servers equipment. The nuts and bolts of the program is if you're a customer, if you need to buy food service equipment that is in one of those rebate qualified categories, you would go to wherever you would purchase your equipment and upon making that purchase at that moment you would be able to receive that rebate.” Gibson goes on to say it is like receiving a discount because it is an instant rebate. The customer does not have to fill out any paperwork to receive the rebate.

Gibson talks about who would qualify for the rebate and shares, customers of SoCalGas , PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E and if you're in their territory as a non-residential customer you can receive those rebates.

We talk about the benefit for food service businesses and Gibson says, “When you're looking at the overall progression of your restaurant and quality of food and what you're going to spend your money on a lot of times it's not going to go towards equipment. I mean if you can, you're going to keep your equipment until that thing absolutely is inoperable because you have so much more money and capital costs that need to be invested in other things to keep the daily processes of your unit working.” Gibson says when you are able to apply rebates it gives operators an opportunity to be more energy efficient, more productive, and the ability to benefit their community by reducing the carbon in the atmosphere.

To hear more about the benefits of the California Instant Rebate Program, check out this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!