The California Energy Commission approved $4.3 million in grants for projects to increase the efficiency of natural gas technology used in industrial, agriculture and water processes, and more than $40 million in other energy-efficiency projects.

The City of Petaluma received a $3 million grant to design and operate an anaerobic digestion system to produce 150,000 gasoline gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas from food and beverage waste. The gas will be used to fuel refuse trucks.

In other grants, The Gas Technology Institute received $2 million to demonstrate new waste heat recovery systems for industrial furnaces and steam boilers.

The Institute also received a $1 million grant to develop an advanced natural gas engine to be installed in 18 vehicles, including delivery trucks and school buses.

Joseph Gallo Farms received a $1 million grant to demonstrate a waste heat recovery system using advanced absorption chiller technology.

ErgSol Inc. received $1 million to demonstrate an integrated high-efficient solar thermal system in the Central Valley.

The Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority facility in Antioch and Soledad High School in Monterey County received low-interest loans to install solar panels on a roof and parking structures. The photovoltaic systems will save about $80,000 and $100,000, respectively, in annual energy costs, and reduce emissions that lead to high global warming.

California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) received a $33 million grant to develop and manage emerging new technologies that will provide cleaner and more affordable energy solutions through the California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development Initiative (CalSEED). A portion of the grant will support projects from small businesses and disabled veteran, minority-, women- and LGBT-owned businesses and businesses in disadvantaged communities.

The Energy Commission approved about $8 million in grants to further its goals to reduce electricity waste from plug-in appliances. The U.S. Department of Energy received grants to develop energy efficient gaming systems, medical and security devices, and technology for devices to alert building owners of wasteful and unsafe operations.

Other grants went to Aggios, Inc. of Irvine, to reduce energy in set-top boxes, televisions, personal computers and game consoles; the University of California, Irvine to help reduce energy use in computers; and Home Energy Analytics, Inc. in Los Altos to develop a smart phone app that can advise ways to reduce wasted energy in homes.