CleanCounts

What CleanCounts does

CleanCounts is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that operates M-RETS (Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System), described as North America's most expansive environmental attribute tracking platform. Founded around 2006, the organization validates and tracks renewable energy certificates (RECs), renewable thermal certificates (RTCs), and energy attribute certificates (EACs) — including specialized nuclear EACs — for energy generators, utilities, corporations, and compliance entities across all U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and territories in North America. The platform's core differentiators include hourly tracking that matches energy consumption to renewable generation in real-time, API access for programmatic integration, and regulatory recognition across all North American compliance jurisdictions.

The platform has issued over 2 billion EACs cumulatively, including more than 95.8 million nuclear RECs since 2023. CleanCounts generates revenue through a subscription-based model with tiered pricing plans for generators and subscribers, supplemented by channel partnerships (notably with LevelTen Energy for fractionalized REC transactions in MISO territory and with Central Farm Service/TalusAg for green ammonia production tracking in Minnesota). The organization serves a broad customer base across voluntary and compliance environmental markets, with recent strategic expansion into agricultural verticals through green ammonia production partnerships supported by $2 million in state funding from the Minnesota Made Ammonia Act. The organization maintains a lean team of 1-10 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors that welcomed Mark Silberg as a new member in February 2026.

Name

CleanCounts

Legal name

CleanCounts

Website

https://mrets.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CleanCounts is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit operating M-RETS, North America's most expansive environmental attribute tracking platform, which validates and tracks RECs, RTCs, and EACs for energy generators, utilities, and corporate sustainability buyers across all North American jurisdictions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Attribute Tracking / Renewable Energy Certificates Registry

akta.pro primary industry

REC/GO Issuance Registries & Tracking Systems (EUAMAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

REC/GO Certification, Verification & Auditing (EAC Standards) (EUAMAKAB), REC/GO Trading Platforms & Exchanges (EUAMAKAD), Cross-Border EAC Trading & Compliance (Multi-registry, Multi-jurisdiction) (EUAGAFAJ), Environmental & Emissions Commodities Exchanges (Carbon, Renewable Certificates) (FSAFAMAE)

Keywords

• Renewable energy certificates
• Environmental attribute tracking
• Energy attribute certificates
• Renewable thermal certificates
• Carbon-free energy registry

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Platform Fees: CleanCounts operates on a subscription-based model where generators and subscribers pay fees to access the platform for tracking environmental attributes. The platform offers different subscription tiers and pricing plans based on usage and organizational needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CleanCounts operates the M-RETS platform, validating and tracking environmental attributes of energy across North America. It issues Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), Renewable Electricity Certificates (RECs), Renewable Thermal Certificates (RTCs), and Nuclear EACs for both voluntary and compliance markets. The platform includes hourly granular matching capabilities and a developer API for programmatic integration.

Product overview

CleanCounts operates a unified environmental attribute tracking platform (M-RETS) that offers multiple interconnected solutions for tracking energy attributes. The core platform provides Renewable Electricity Tracking and Renewable Thermal/RNG Tracking, supplemented by Hourly Tracking capabilities for time-matched renewable energy matching. The platform issues Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) including Nuclear EACs, and provides programmatic access via a developer API. CleanCounts tracks renewable energy outputs across all states, provinces and territories in North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Renewable Electricity Tracking Transparent and flexible platform for tracking renewable electricity attributes through environmental attribute certificates, serving generators and subscribers in both voluntary and compliance markets across all states, provinces, and territories in North America.
• Renewable Thermal Tracking Tracks renewable thermal energy and attributes to grow both voluntary and compliance markets, supporting renewable natural gas (RNG) and other thermal renewable energy certificates issued through the M-RETS registry.
• M-RETS Platform North America's most expansive environmental attribute tracking platform operated by CleanCounts, providing the unified registry system through which renewable electricity, thermal, and nuclear energy attributes are issued, tracked, and traded by generators and subscribers.
• Nuclear Energy Attribute Certificates (Nuclear EACs) Specialized EAC issuance and tracking service for nuclear-generated energy, supporting carbon-free nuclear procurement and providing verified certificates for organizations seeking to claim carbon-free nuclear energy in their sustainability portfolios.
• CleanCounts API Developer-facing API enabling programmatic access to the M-RETS environmental attribute registry for REC imports/exports, certificate management, and integration with customer systems and automated workflows.
• Hourly Tracking Differentiated registry offering that layers hourly data to match energy use with renewable energy produced at the same time, enabling precise, time-matched 24/7 clean energy claims for buyers and sustainability reporters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 billion Energy Attribute Certificates issued for clean energy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TalusAgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026CleanCounts, along with Central Farm Service, partners with TalusAg to build Talus10 local ammonia production facilities in Minnesota. Each system produces up to 20 tons per day using electricity from local wind power. The project aims to produce 40 tons of green ammonia daily by 2028, supplying more than two-thirds of CFS' annual ammonia sales across more than 100,000 acres while utilizing CleanCounts' tracking capabilities for environmental attribute verification.
• Central Farm ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Central Farm Service, an agricultural cooperative, partners with CleanCounts and TalusAg to bring the first commercially available locally produced ammonia fertilizer to Minnesota. The partnership addresses ammonia price volatility exceeding 300% and reduces reliance on imported fertilizers. CleanCounts provides tracking infrastructure for the renewable energy used in ammonia production.
• Mark SilbergcoreOthers · 1 February 2026Mark Silberg joined CleanCounts' Board of Directors in February 2026. As a board member, he provides governance oversight and strategic guidance to the nonprofit organization.
• LevelTen EnergyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 September 2025CleanCounts was selected as an awardee of LevelTen Energy's Registry Acceleration Fund. The partnership builds on an existing 2019 agreement and enables fractionalized REC transactions for all generators in MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) territory.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PJM Environmental Information Services (GATS): The PJM Generation Attribute Tracking System is the dominant REC tracking system for the PJM Interconnection region, directly competing with M-RETS for renewable electricity certificates issued in that footprint. It is the closest functional equivalent to CleanCounts' registry.
• WREGIS (Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System): WREGIS tracks RECs and EACs across the Western Electricity Coordinating Council region, offering functionally identical services to M-RETS in its territory. It is one of the main North American tracking systems competing for generator and subscriber relationships.
• NEPOOL-GIS: The New England Power Pool Generation Information System is the official REC tracking system for the New England ISO region. It directly competes with CleanCounts for compliance and voluntary REC issuance in the northeastern U.S.
• NYGATS (New York Generation Attribute Tracking System): NYGATS is the state-administered REC tracking system for New York. It serves the same function as M-RETS for renewable generators and load-serving entities in New York, representing direct competition in that jurisdiction.
• NC-RETS (North Carolina Renewable Energy Tracking System): NC-RETS is a regional tracking system for the Southeast U.S. It offers similar REC issuance and tracking services to M-RETS, competing for generators and subscribers in the Carolinas and adjacent states.

Regional players

• ERCOT (Texas) REC Tracking: Texas operates its own REC tracking framework within the ERCOT grid, serving a defined but separate market from M-RETS. It illustrates a jurisdictionally segmented competitive landscape that constrains M-RETS' exclusive coverage claim.

Broad incumbents

• APX Inc. APX provides the underlying registry infrastructure for many North American tracking systems, including compliance and voluntary REC markets. It is a broader incumbent in the environmental attribute infrastructure space, sitting one layer beneath registries like M-RETS.
• Verra: Verra is the leading global standard-setter and registry operator for carbon credits and related environmental attributes. It is a broader incumbent whose voluntary market standards overlap conceptually with CleanCounts' EAC issuance role.

Emerging players

• 3Degrees: 3Degrees is a renewable energy certificate and carbon offset marketing/sales intermediary, sitting between generators and corporate buyers. While not a registry, it operates in the same EAC value chain and competes for buyer relationships that CleanCounts also serves via subscriptions.
• LevelTen Energy: LevelTen operates a marketplace for renewable energy PPAs and fractionalized RECs and is a GTM partner of CleanCounts via the Registry Acceleration Fund. It is a partial competitor on the transaction/discovery side and an adjacent player in the same EAC ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/m-rets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CleanCounts