Pyka and the Foundation for California Community Colleges have secured a grant from California's Air Resources Board and Energy Commission to demonstrate commercial-scale zero-emission autonomous aviation in California agriculture. The multi-year project will deploy Pyka's all-electric autonomous Pelican 2 aircraft at Victoria Island Farms in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The aircraft will operate under Federal Aviation Administration approval, powered primarily by off-grid solar charging systems. Operations are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide whilst displacing conventional fossil-fuel-powered crop dusters. The project includes an equity-centred workforce development programme led by FoundationCCC, preparing California residents for skilled jobs in zero-emission aviation manufacturing and operations. Pyka will manufacture the aircraft at its Alameda facility, collecting operational data to inform future policy development and industry adoption.

Pyka and Foundation for California Community Colleges awarded CARB and CEC grant for commercial-scale zero-emission autonomous Aviation Demonstration in California agriculture. Alameda, CA /PRNewswire/ - Pyka, a California-based leader in autonomous electric aviation, today announced it will serve as the lead technology partner on the California Zero-Emission Aviation Demonstration Project. The project is funded by California Climate Investments through the California Air Resources Board's Sustainable Heavy-Duty Initiatives for Future Technology (SHIFT) program and supported by the California Energy Commission (CEC). Administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC), the project will deploy one of the first large-scale commercial demonstrations of all-electric, autonomous aircraft in California agriculture. The multi-year project will demonstrate the real-world viability of zero-emission aviation by deploying Pyka's all-electric autonomous Pelican 2 aircraft. The aircraft will operate under Federal Aviation Administration approvals for agricultural operations at Victoria Island Farms in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Power will come primarily from off-grid solar charging systems, with additional support from project-funded zero-emission ground-support vehicles. Together, these systems will significantly reduce fossil fuel use associated with both flight operations and on-site agricultural support. The project brings together partners from industry, agriculture, and workforce development, including Pyka, Victoria Island Farms, Ogive Technology, Inc., NPower California, and the Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC). "This project will demonstrate the scalability of zero-emission autonomous aircraft," said Chuma Ogunwole, Chief Operating Officer of Pyka. "By operating autonomous electric aircraft at commercial scale in a real agricultural environment, we're proving that aviation can reduce emissions today - not decades from now - while improving safety, efficiency, and community outcomes." Advancing CARB's Climate, Equity, and Technology Goals The California Zero-Emission Aviation Demonstration Project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that uses Cap-and-Invest funds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy and improve public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Over the course of the project, operations with Pyka's aircraft are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The project is also expected to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter and other criteria pollutants by displacing conventional fossil-fuel-powered crop dusters and diesel agricultural equipment. Additional benefits may include reduced noise pollution, improved application precision that can lower overall chemical use, and reduced spray drift in nearby communities. "California's responsibility to protect its citizens from harmful air pollution and the effects of climate change extends beyond cars and trucks," said CARB Deputy Executive Officer of Mobile Sources & Incentives Christopher Grundler. "CARB investments in SHIFT projects like this one are taking zero-emissions technology to new heights and demonstrating that clean aviation is not only feasible, but already capable of doing many jobs better and cheaper than polluting alternatives." "The CEC is proud to fund the deployment of zero-emission aviation infrastructure for this pilot project," said Melanie Vail, Deputy Director of the CEC Fuels and Transportation Division. "Zero-emission aviation is California's next frontier, and this off-grid solar charging system could become an industry blueprint." The project also includes an equity-centered workforce development and training program, led by FoundationCCC in partnership with NPower California and BACCC. Through paid work experience, professional training pathways, and community college engagement, the program aims to prepare California residents for skilled, living-wage jobs in zero-emission aviation manufacturing and operations. "This project reflects the kind of collaboration California needs to advance innovative technologies alongside workforce and economic development," said Dr. Jeffrey Clary, Senior Director of Climate Strategies at the Foundation for California Community Colleges. "By combining zero-emission aviation with workforce initiatives, we're working to deliver air quality benefits while building pathways into high-quality clean jobs in agriculture and aviation. FoundationCCC is proud to partner with Pyka and the project team on this first-of-its-kind demonstration." Building a Scalable Model for Zero-Emission Aviation Pyka will manufacture and operate the aircraft from its Bay Area facility in Alameda, California, collecting detailed operational data throughout the demonstration. The data will support reporting to CARB and the CEC and help inform future policy development, regulatory pathways, and industry adoption. The project is designed as a replicable model that can be scaled across California's agricultural sector and adapted to additional aviation uses, including cargo logistics and other critical services. Broader deployment could amplify long-term emissions reductions statewide and beyond. "This investment demonstrates California's leadership in tackling some of the most challenging decarbonization challenges," Ogunwole added. "Aviation has long been one of the most difficult sectors to electrify. This project shows that with the right partners and technology, zero-emission flight is no longer a distant goal - it's taking shape today." About Pyka: Pyka is a robotics company on a mission to build the most useful autonomous aircraft on Earth. At the core of every Pyka aircraft is a vertically integrated aircraft-first robotics stack: proprietary flight control software, avionics, high-power density electric motors, motor controllers, batteries, and carbon fiber composite airframes, developed entirely in-house and manufactured in the United States of America. Learn more at www.flypyka.com. About the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC): The Foundation for California Community Colleges works to benefit students, colleges, and communities by accelerating paths to economic and social mobility, strengthening communities, and reducing barriers to opportunities for all Californians. FoundationCCC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1998. It serves as the official statewide nonprofit organization supporting the California Community Colleges, the largest system of higher education in the nation. For more information, visit www.foundationccc.org. About the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Sustainable Heavy-Duty Initiatives for Future Technology (SHIFT): This project is part of SHIFT, a program administered by the California Air Resources Board and funded through California Climate Investments. CARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. CARB is the lead agency for climate change programs and oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards. SHIFT is an incentive program administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) supporting the development and demonstration of advanced, low- and zero-emission technologies for heavy-duty vehicles, off-road equipment, and goods movement. Formerly known as Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects, SHIFT investments help accelerate the transition of emerging technologies from pre-commercial demonstration to commercially available options by supporting early deployments and at-scale testing in real-world use. As a part of CARB's Clean Transportation Incentives, SHIFT projects advance innovative on- and off-road solutions that reduce air pollution, improve public health and support California's climate and air quality goals. About California Climate Investments: California Climate Investments uses billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to fund projects that reduce harmful emissions, protect public health, strengthen local economies, and support natural environments. With a strong focus on communities most impacted by pollution and limited access to resources, California Climate Investments helps build a more equitable and sustainable future. About the California Energy Commission (CEC): The California Energy Commission supports the implementation of the SHIFT projects by contributing from its Emerging Opportunities fund for the purchase and installation of supporting infrastructure and workforce development investments. The California Energy Commission is the state's primary energy policy and planning agency. It has seven core responsibilities: advancing state energy policy, encouraging energy efficiency, certifying power plants, investing in energy innovation, developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, and preparing for energy emergencies.

Central Valley Transfer Project udpate: PPM 2.0 momentum on the rise across the state as April 1 deadline nears - funding available to implement. CVHEC members Lemoore and Reedley are among the first four cc's to launch live sites. BY TOM URIBES CVHEC Communications Lead (MARCH 16, 2026) - As rollout of the Program Pathways Mapper platform designed to help community college students on a transfer pathway accelerates, California Community Colleges campuses face an April 1 deadline to upgrade to and/or implement PPM 2.0. Craig Hayward, vice chancellor of AI Strategy and Digital Transformation for the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, said that "momentum for PPM 2.0 remains strong across all participating institutions during this final phase of onboarding" with 53 institutions statewide actively onboarding to PPM 2.0. An additional 30 institutions were scheduled to begin their onboarding in February and March while six institutions still need to select an onboarding session, Hayward reported in a Feb. 23 update for the CVHEC newsletter. Locally, 12 of 15 CVHEC community college members have been onboarded - or are currently onboarding - with the latest addition of Taft College, reports Transfer Project co-lead Tom Burke. (Four of CVHEC's 4-year institutions are also on board: University of California, Merced; California State University, Bakersfield; California State University, Stanislaus; and Fresno State). See full CVHEC list. "To ensure systemwide consistency and timely completion of the transition, all institutions must be onboarded to PPM 2.0 by April 1," Hayward said. The Foundation for California Community Colleges also announced that four campuses are the first to launch a live, student-facing PPM 2.0 site including two Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members: Lemoore College and Reedley College. They are joined by Moorpark College (Moorpark) and Chabot College (Hayward) in the live launch of the software that Hayward said "provides an important step forward in delivering clearer, more accessible academic pathways directly to students." Hayward said PPM 2.0 will provide institutions with enhanced PPM features that will benefit institutions: * A more intuitive interface for administrators and students * Improved workflows for efficient map creation and maintenance * Stronger data integrity to ensure accuracy and reliability * Enhanced accessibility with clear, up-to-date program pathways "Together, these improvements position PPM 2.0 as sustainable shared infrastructure supporting guided pathways and student success at scale," Hayward said. The PPM team will be presenting at three upcoming statewide conferences including the Dual Enrollment Equity Conference March 16-19 in San Diego where a collaboration with CVHEC member-Bakersfield College and McFarland High School will be featured (details below). Historic partnerships PPM was first advanced through CVHEC's Central Valley Transfer Project in 2021 in a historic partnership between CVHEC-members UC Merced, CSU Bakersfield, Bakersfield College and Merced College bringing together faculty from each institution with administrators for a seamless platform that students could utilize not just in planning a transferable pathway but in overall planning during their academic journey. The Central Valley-driven platform was then adopted in 2023 by California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian first as a demonstration project before being incorporated last summer into the CCC Vision 2030 Transfer Workplan as one of five key activities to expand student access to clear, faculty-vetted academic and transfer pathways and marking a major step forward in how California's public colleges guide students toward completion and transfer. "With a 79% adoption rate across Central Valley demonstration colleges, PPM has already published over 150 intersegmental maps linking community colleges to UC Merced, and is on track for 94 percent adoption in the region by 2025-26," the 2030 plan stated at the time adding that this strategic expansion supports Vision 2030 outcomes such as streamlining transfer, reducing excess units and improving transparency as well as equity success. Implementing the "Central Valley Way" to adopt PPM statewide In fall 2025, the chancellor's office officially launched Program Pathways Mapper (PPM) 2.0 and began making available onboarding opportunities to its 116 campuses across the state. Vision 2030 further cites that implementation of Program Pathways Mapper systemwide provides more students with access to program pathways and transfer planning information. "This model of technology embodies the principles of guided pathways combined with intentional faculty-centric collaborations and is effective in meeting the goals outlined in the Governor's Roadmap, such as providing a systemwide approach to mapping intersegmental curricular pathways, streamlining transfer and reducing excess units," the plan states. "The statewide effort aims to leverage processes and documentation developed in the Central Valley to support scaling PPM adoption across the state, with no-cost access to the platform being provided to all California community colleges." Colleges can apply for up to $60,000 in funding to support either the implementation of Program Pathways Mapper (PPM) or the sustainability of existing PPM maps. This grant opportunity is made possible through a collaborative partnership between the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, the Foundation for California Community Colleges and the Kern Community College District. Funding is available to California Community Colleges (CCCs), California State Universities (CSUs), and University of California (UC) campuses under two options: * Option A: Implementing PPM (up to $60,000) For institutions new to PPM or those seeking to fully implement and institutionalize the platform. * Option B: Sustaining PPM Maps (up to $60,000) For institutions with existing PPM maps focused on long-term sustainability and continued use. Colleges may apply by submitting the PPM inquiry form. Institutions new to the software meet with the PPM team for a personalized demo and consultation before the sub-grant agreement is reviewed and executed. All California institutions receive comprehensive, no-cost support throughout the process, including data assistance, system setup and ongoing customer support, Hayward said. He added that college reps with questions about onboarding or other assistance may connect at [email protected]. The PPM team will present on how Program Pathways Mapper supports equity in dual enrollment by increasing visibility of college courses, transfer pathways, and student-centered guidance for first-generation and rural students: Breakout Session: Making Dual Enrollment Visible to First-Gen and Rural Students (March 18, 2-3 p.m. PT) This session highlights collaboration with McFarland High School and Bakersfield College, showcasing how PPM helps students and counselors explore dual enrollment options, understand transfer pathways, and access clear, consistent program information. * Spring 2026 CCCCIO Conference (April 8-10 | Burlingame, CA) - Visit the PPM team at its table to learn more about PPM 2.0 and connect with the team. * Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Convening (April 20 | Sacramento, CA) - The PPM team will be tabling and available to discuss CPL visibility and pathway alignment.