CLEAN ENERGY STATES ALLIANCE INC
Supporting State Leadership in Clean Energy
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is a national, nonprofit coalition of leading state agencies and other public organizations working together to advance clean energy to address climate change, strengthen the economy, and reduce social inequality. State-led action has been one of the main drivers for clean energy transformation of the electricity sector. Founded in 2002, CESA provides a trusted forum for state clean energy officials to network, share information, and engage in multi-state initiatives on a wide range of issues, including solar best practices, offshore wind development, energy storage policy, clean energy for under-resourced communities, and the implementation of 100% clean energy goals. CESA provides technical assistance and program support to individual states, and shares lessons learned with a wide range of clean energy stakeholders across the country.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Offshore Wind Accelerator Project
To increase collaboration among states in the Atlantic Coast region, federal agencies, wind developers, NGO's and other stakeholders to accelerate offshore wind development in the US.
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. See https://www.cesa.org/projects/100-clean-energy-collaborative/
Energy Storage Technology Advancment Project
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.
The project’s objective is to accelerate the pace of deployment of energy storage technologies in the United States through the creation of technical assistance and co-funding partnerships between states and the U.S. Department of Energy. See https://www.cesa.org/projects/energy-storage-technology-advancement-partnership
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.This project shares information among CESA members about their programs and plans to help LMI individuals and communities to benefit from clean energy. We seek to identify best practices and promising innovative ideas. We will make recommendations for possible new state programs and policies. See https://www.cesa.org/projects/scaling-up-solar-for-under-resourced-communities
State Energy Strategies for LMI Solar
With funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy (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. See https://www.cesa.org/projects/state-energy-strategies-project
Building Decarbonization and Clean Heating/Cooling
The heating and cooling sector accounts for over forty 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. See https://www.cesa.org/projects/building-decarbonization-and-clean-heating-cooling
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. See https://www.cesa.org/projects/energy-storage-policy-for-states
Solar with Justice Project
To ensure solar equity, under-resourced communities need to be able to participate actively in solar development. The Solar with Justice project identifies barriers to solar for low- and moderate-income (LMI) consumers and advances strategies for overcoming those barriers. It focuses especially on helping state energy agencies and frontline community-based organizations learn from each other and forge partnerships to promote solar.
Where we work
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Our Sustainable Development Goals
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
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.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
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.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
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.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
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.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
CLEAN ENERGY STATES ALLIANCE INC
Board of directorsas of 11/30/2020
Betsy Kauffman
Energy Trust of Oregon
Term: 2019 - 2022
Seth Mullendore
Clean Energy Group
Antonio Goncalves
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Taresa Lawrence
Department of Energy & Environment
Brian Granahan
Illinois Power Agency
Betsy Kauffman
Energy Trust of Oregon
Jeremy Lewis
New Mexico State Land Office
Bentham Paulos
Paulos Analysis
Sergio Carrillo
Connecticut Green Banl
Ryan Wiser
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Doreen Harris
New York State Energy and Research Development Authority
Natalie Lee
California Energy Commission
Danielle Deane-Ryan
Amy Barad
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
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Gender identity
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Sexual orientation
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Disability
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