Coalition For Community Solar Access

What Coalition For Community Solar Access does

Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) is a national trade association founded in 2015 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, that represents over 125 member organizations engaged in community solar development, ownership, financing, and subscription management across the United States. CCSA operates active state committees in 16 markets (California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin) and runs policy and regulatory advocacy campaigns in each, targeting legislative and regulatory outcomes that expand third-party, competitive community solar programs. The organization's core function is coalition-building and policy influence rather than technology development; it does not develop or sell technology products. Its primary outputs are policy intelligence (monthly Market and Policy Reports, weekly news service for Leadership members), model legislation, resource library publications, and member-facing events, including the annual Community & Distributed Energy Summit (500+ attendees in Washington DC, May 2026) and the Innovation Summit (Westminster, CO, June 2025).

CCSA's revenue model is membership-dues-based with six tiers: Leadership Member at $202,000 annually ($172,000 first year), Utility-Affiliate Leadership at $202,000, General Member at a $6,900 base with optional state committee add-ons reaching $85,500, Utility-Affiliate General at $14,500 base with similar add-on scaling, Non-Profit at $3,450 with limited state add-ons, and Affiliate at $5,000. Dues are billed on a calendar-year basis and are non-refundable, providing recurring annual revenue. CCSA also generates secondary revenue from event sponsorships and ticket sales at its annual summits, and distributes policy advocacy resources through its CCSA Connect member platform. Its go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, recruiting members through direct outreach, legislative campaigns, and industry convenings.

CCSA's member base spans community solar developers (Nexamp, Pivot Energy, Bluewave, New Leaf Energy, Lightstar, AES, Engie, Apex Clean Energy, RWE, Nautilus Solar, Forefront Power, Soltage, SRE, Turning Point, CleanCapital, Cypress Creek, New Energy Equity, OneEnergy, Renewable Properties, SolAmerica, SunShare, U.S. Solar, Chaberton, Dynamic Energy), corporate buyers (Walmart appears as a Leadership member), law firms, utility affiliates, EPC firms, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. CCSA's board includes representatives from Pivot Energy, Nexamp, New Leaf Energy, CleanCapital, Nautilus Solar, and RWE Clean Energy. The organization is led by President & CEO Jeff Cramer (founder, since 2015), supported by a leadership team with deep policy credentials including former Missouri Public Service Commissioner Jason Holsman and former DOE Loan Programs Office Senior Advisor Liz Perera.

Name

Coalition For Community Solar Access

Legal name

Coalition for Community Solar Access

Website

https://communitysolaraccess.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) is a national trade association founded in 2015 that represents 125+ community solar developers, businesses, and nonprofits across 16 U.S. state committees, advancing community solar policy through legislative and regulatory advocacy, member services, and annual industry summits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CCSA generates revenue through annual membership dues paid by community solar developers, EPC firms, asset owners, operators, law firms, nonprofits, and other organizations engaged in community solar. Membership tiers include Leadership ($202,000/year or $172,000 first year), Utility-Affiliate ($202,000/year), General ($6,900 base with additional state committee fees up to $85,500/year), Non-Profit ($3,450 base), and Affiliate ($5,000/year). Dues are invoiced and non-refundable, charged on a calendar-year basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CCSA is a national nonprofit trade association that recruits member organizations (community solar developers, EPC firms, asset owners, utilities, nonprofits, corporate buyers) and represents their collective interests before state legislatures, public utility commissions, and federal agencies. Through tiered membership dues, the coalition funds advocacy campaigns, model legislation, market intelligence reports, networking events, and policy committees across 16 U.S. states.

Product overview

CCSA is a national trade association representing over 125 community solar developers, businesses, and nonprofits. The organization offers tiered membership programs (Leadership, General, Non-Profit, Affiliate) that provide access to industry resources, state committees across 16 markets, market intelligence reports, and networking opportunities. CCSA operates the CCSA Connect member engagement platform and organizes annual conferences including the Community & Distributed Energy Summit and Community Solar Innovation Summit. The coalition provides policy resources, economic impact studies, and model legislation through its Resource Library to support community solar development and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coalition Membership Program Tiered annual membership program providing community solar developers, EPC firms, asset owners, operators, utilities, law firms, nonprofits, and corporate buyers access to state committees (across 16 states), monthly market and policy reports, member-only webinars, model legislation, advocacy representation, and networking events. Membership dues range from $3,450 (Non-Profit base) to $202,000 (Leadership annual).
• CCSA Connect CCSA's online member engagement platform and member directory providing networking, collaboration, and exclusive resource access for coalition member organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participating community solar subscribers save 10-20% on electricity bills
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026CCSA and SEIA jointly praised Maryland's Utility RELIEF Act (HB 1532/SB 841), which doubled the state's net metering program from 3 GW to 6 GW, providing regulatory certainty for solar companies. Both organizations align on legislative priorities affecting community and distributed solar expansion.
• Chesapeake Solar and Storage AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026CCSA and Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association jointly supported Maryland's Utility RELIEF Act, collaborating on advocacy for rooftop and community solar expansion in Maryland.
• Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026CCSA and MnSEIA issued a joint statement commending Minnesota's legislation naming the state's community solar program the Melissa Hortman Community Solar Garden Program, honoring the late House Speaker's vision for community solar policy.
• Pivot EnergyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2024Pivot Energy partnered with Microsoft and Rivian to develop community-scale solar. CCSA's members include major developers like Pivot Energy whose corporate partnerships drive community solar deployment and bill savings for subscribers.
• NexampflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2024Nexamp partnered with Walmart, Starbucks, and T-Mobile on community solar projects. CCSA counts Nexamp as a leadership member whose major corporate agreements are highlighted as industry milestones.
• AmpionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2024Ampion partnered with Wendy's to enroll ~200 restaurants in community solar and RECs across New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois. CCSA members like Ampion facilitate corporate engagement with community solar.
• Arcadia (platform supporting Google)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2024Google invested in community solar through Arcadia platform. CCSA highlights this as an example of major tech company engagement with distributed solar.
• Broad Solar Access Coalition (Earthjustice, Hispanic Federation, GreenLatinos, Vote Solar, GRID Alternatives, Solar United Neighbors, Appalachian Voices, TUEILIP, and others)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2021A broad coalition of civil rights, indigenous, environmental, equity, rural, and business organizations called on Congress to expand solar access for all. The coalition published a policy roadmap recommending federal actions including empowering 30 million households to go solar, creating over one million new jobs, and directing 40% of clean energy benefits to underserved communities. CCSA participated as a founding member of this coalition.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): National solar trade association representing the broader U.S. solar industry. Directly comparable to CCSA as a competing/co-advocating membership body for solar developers and operators; CCSA has even partnered with SEIA on shared legislative wins (e.g., Maryland Utility RELIEF Act).
• Vote Solar: State-level solar advocacy nonprofit focused on expanding distributed solar access. Operates in overlapping state markets with similar policy advocacy mission; explicitly a co-anchor of the Broad Solar Access Coalition alongside CCSA.
• Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC): Nonprofit that builds regulatory and workforce frameworks for clean energy, including interconnection and community solar. Multiple CCSA staff (e.g., Laurel Passera) came from IREC, indicating closely aligned mission and stakeholder base.
• Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA): Nonprofit coalition of state clean energy funds and agencies working on solar policy, financing, and program design. Comparable mission of advancing state-level clean energy deployment, including community solar programs.

Broad incumbents

• American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE): Larger, broader renewable energy trade association covering wind, solar, storage, and transmission. Overlaps CCSA's federal advocacy footprint but at a wider industry scope; competing for large corporate and developer memberships.
• Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA): Utility-focused clean energy organization convening utilities, developers, and policymakers. Overlaps CCSA on interconnection, grid modernization, and regulatory engagement; serves similar utility members (e.g., Xcel, PG&E staff appear in CCSA's leadership pedigree).

Regional players

• Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association (CHESSA): Regional solar trade association for Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Directly partnered with CCSA on the Maryland Utility RELIEF Act; competes for Mid-Atlantic members and policy voice.
• Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA): State-level solar trade association for Minnesota. Issued joint statements with CCSA on Minnesota's community solar program; competes for Minnesota member developers and policy leadership.

Emerging players

• GRID Alternatives: Nonprofit focused on deploying solar for low-income communities; co-anchor of the Broad Solar Access Coalition. Overlaps CCSA on equity and access policy but is more deployment-oriented than policy-focused.
• Solar United Neighbors (SUN): Solar co-op and advocacy nonprofit with grassroots organizing. Member of the Broad Solar Access Coalition alongside CCSA; overlapping advocacy goals but operating at the consumer/rooftop level rather than community-scale utility projects.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SolarAccess
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ04MQWfiMTEIhzGbJigRMg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coalition-for-community-solar-access
• Facebookfacebook.com/communitysolaraccess

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Coalition For Community Solar Access