CLEAN ENERGY STATES ALLIANCE INC

The mission of CESA is:
a) To promote the deployment of clean energy technologies in ways that reduce climate change, provide economic benefits to state economies, and advance energy equity.
b) To achieve measurable improvements to clean energy policies and programs at the state level.
c) To assist state clean energy agencies and similar public organizations by sharing information about programs, approaches, strategies, best practices, and operational experiences, and by undertaking joint projects that find solutions to key, cross-cutting challenges.
d) To inform the public about key developments related to clean energy policies and programs, as well as about CESA member organizations’ clean energy successes and challenges.

To achieve this mission, CESA creates and facilitates multi-state collaborative initiatives, provides technical assistance, undertakes analysis, and carries out wide-ranging public outreach.

CESA uses the collective power of its network of public clean energy programs to advance practical solutions that can only come from multi-party, collaborative initiatives. CESA’s value proposition is its ability to serve as a forum for peer-to-peer learning and collective problem solving among the leading clean energy programs in the country. In 2020, organizations in 20 states participated as core members of CESA, see https://www.cesa.org/members.

CESA's members include state energy offices, public utilities commissions, municipally owned utilities, and quasi-governmental entities established to administer clean energy funding and programs. They include many of the most innovative, successful, and influential public funders of clean energy initiatives in the country.

The driving force behind CESA's efforts with states is collaboration—that common issues facing clean energy market development often can be addressed most effectively through collective state action and pooling of joint resources.

CESA member organizations have come to rely on the CESA network as a source for advice, expertise, and cooperation. Members help other members achieve their clean energy program goals by learning from each other’s experiences: both their successes and challenges. CESA projects allow for consensus-building and standardization among and across the states to strengthen collective efforts to support clean energy.

CESA provides the most up-to-date knowledge about clean energy programs, from the U.S. and international experience, to its members. By participating in this coalition, states are continuously making progress together to drive clean energy markets and increase clean energy access by individuals, communities, and companies.
Additionally, CESA works with the U.S. Department of Energy, national energy laboratories, leading nonprofits, community-based organizations, academic experts, and industry groups to address cross-cutting clean energy program challenges and opportunities facing its state members, including:

• Mainstreaming solar, wind, battery storage, and renewable heating & cooling technologies
• Helping renewable portfolio standard (RPS) laws work effectively
• Promoting clean energy as a strategy for state economic development and job creation
• Developing cutting-edge financing tools and strategies to allow states to maximize the leveraging power of state funding for clean energy.
• Developing inclusive programs that will foster a just transition to a clean energy economy.

CESA has deep experience on clean energy policy and programs. We have worked with states across the country to improve programs and public support for clean energy adoption. The states with clean energy incentives are transforming the market, so that now nearly 20 percent of electricity is generated from renewable energy resources. CESA has hosted countless forums, webinars, and conferences to bring clean energy leaders together on important clean energy topics.

CESA major program activities include:
• Implementation of multi-state projects to address solar market development, wind policy development, clean energy project finance tools, and energy storage technology advancement.
• Development of consumer information on energy storage and resilient power technologies
• Publication of analyses, reports, and guides on clean energy policy and program design for state officials
• Technical assistance to states on clean energy program design, administration, evaluation, public education, and financing
• Information exchange and analysis for state clean energy programs, including research and documentation of best practices for clean energy programs.

By working together through CESA, rather than going it alone, the state clean energy programs can combine efforts for more effective strategies and joint initiatives, while reducing costs to their individual state programs. CESA works directly to advise the leading state clean energy programs in the country, including the California Energy Commission, the Connecticut Green Bank, Illinois Power Agency, NYSERDA, New Jersey Clean Energy Program, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Energy Trust of Oregon, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, and Washington Department of Commerce on programs ranging from energy storage, to renewable heating and cooling, to offshore wind. SEe www.cesa.org/members.

Strengths of our staff include:
• Experience developing and administering effective statewide clean energy programs for state agencies and public clean energy funds
• Expertise with state and national energy policy and regulatory environments
• Years of experience managing multi-state collaborations and multi-state grant awards
• Strong relationships with national energy laboratories and clean energy NGOs
• Understanding of how variations in clean energy program design influence participation, market growth, administrative cost, and customer and industry satisfaction
• Extensive peer network for information sharing, including a distribution list of over 18,000 contacts
• Ability to carry out sophisticated economic analysis efficiently and to assess methods for determining appropriate clean energy incentive structures and levels
• Independence from the solar industry, utilities, and other interested parties
• Sophisticated use of social media platforms, webinars, recording archives, and extensive outreach lists for sharing information on policy issues.

CESA has established several major projects of interest to its members and is continuing to work with states on the following initiatives.

100% Clean Energy Collaborative:
CESA created the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative to assist states (and other entities) that have 100% clean energy goals by providing knowledge-sharing activities and analysis so that together they can address program challenges and opportunities.

Building Decarbonization and Clean Heating/Cooling:
The heating and cooling sector accounts for over 40 percent of the nation’s energy use. CESA’s renewable thermal project works with member states to evaluate renewable heating and cooling technologies and develop policies and programs that support best practices to further develop the market for renewable thermal technologies.

Energy Storage Policy for States:
This project provides support to CESA members engaged in developing energy storage policy, programs and regulation. Activities include knowledge sharing, direct policy support, and independent analysis based on the interests and needs of CESA members.

Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership:
The Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership (ESTAP) is a federal-state funding and information sharing project, managed by CESA, that aims to accelerate the deployment of electrical energy storage technologies in the U.S. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, with Sandia National Laboratories.

Offshore Wind Accelerator Project (OWAP):
Offshore wind presents one of the country’s most significant renewable energy resources with the potential to transform the Atlantic Coast energy portfolio, create a new clean energy industry sector, meet aggressive state renewable energy policy goals, and reduce carbon emissions and ocean acidification at a significant scale.

Scaling Up Solar for Under-Resourced Communities:
CESA is leading a wide-ranging initiative to accelerate the development of solar projects that benefit low-and-moderate-income (LMI) households and communities.

Solar with Justice:
To optimize the benefits of solar energy, access to solar photovoltaics by under-resourced communities needs to happen now. PV costs have fallen dramatically over the past decade and solar has experienced an average annual growth rate of 50 percent, making it cost-effective in many locations. Solar energy provides health, environmental, job creation, and economic development benefits, while saving consumers money.

State Energy Strategies:
With funding support from the U.S. DOE, CESA is helping five states – Connecticut, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Rhode Island – and the District of Columbia develop and implement low- and moderate-income solar strategies.

State Leadership in Clean Energy:
CESA’s State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards recognize state programs that are most effectively accelerating adoption of clean energy technologies.

Learn more about all of CESA's projects at www.cesa.org/projects.