PSE Healthy Energy
PSE Healthy Energy is an Oakland-based nonprofit research institute that produces peer-reviewed scientific evidence on the health, climate, and equity impacts of energy systems to inform federal, state, and international energy policy through grants and science advising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PSE Healthy Energy does
PSE Healthy Energy (legal name: Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy) is an independent nonprofit research institute founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oakland, California. The organization generates peer-reviewed scientific evidence at the intersection of energy systems, climate change, air quality, and public health, with the explicit goal of informing evidence-based energy policy. Its core research platform integrates satellite methane observations (sourced via Carbon Mapper), proprietary natural gas composition data, regulatory-grade atmospheric dispersion modeling, ground-level air quality monitoring, and demographic analysis to quantify health and climate risks from fossil fuel infrastructure. PSE operates a portfolio of interactive public data tools, including the Methane Risk Map (covering 1,423 methane events across 13 states), the Refinery Risk Map (Gulf Coast and Ohio River Valley), the California Solar Map, and the Richmond Air Monitoring Network.
The institute's deliverables span peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Environmental Science & Technology, Environmental Research Letters, and PNAS Nexus; commissioned technical reports for state and federal agencies; the multi-year Methane + Health Initiative; and science advising services to government, utilities, and community organizations. PSE does not sell commercial products; instead, it is funded through a diversified mix of competitive federal grants (notably a $1.35M EPA STAR award), state agency contracts (California Energy Commission), international philanthropic research grants (Wellcome Trust, European Climate Foundation), environmental advocacy organization funding (Environmental Defense Fund, NRDC), and individual donations. Its customer base includes the U.S. EPA, California Energy Commission, UC Berkeley, Stanford, University of New Mexico, the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and Environmental Defense Fund, with research areas spanning California, the broader United States, and most recently Europe.
PSE's research has produced documented regulatory and policy outcomes, including informing California's 3,200-foot setback rule between oil and gas wells and communities, contributing to a Michigan utility settlement that retired two coal plants five years early and avoided an estimated 40-90 deaths and $430-972 million in annual costs, and generating major media coverage of benzene and methane emissions from natural gas appliances. The organization is led by Executive Director Seth B.C. Shonkoff, PhD, MPH (a founder), with a leadership team including a Director of Scientific Programs hired in 2025 from USAID, and operates with a 25+ person scientific staff.
PSE Healthy Energy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PSE Healthy Energy
- Legal name
- Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy
- Website
- https://psehealthyenergy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PSE Healthy Energy is an Oakland-based nonprofit research institute that produces peer-reviewed scientific evidence on the health, climate, and equity impacts of energy systems to inform federal, state, and international energy policy through grants and science advising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where PSE Healthy Energy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PSE Healthy Energy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Research Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from government agencies including EPA STAR program grants and California state agency contracts. Also receives funding from foundations including European Climate Foundation and Wellcome Trust for specific research projects.
- Science Advising Services: Provides expert scientific analysis and policy advising to government agencies, environmental organizations, and research institutions on energy, climate, and public health matters.
- Philanthropic Donations: Accepts donations from individuals and organizations supporting science-based energy policy work.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
PSE Healthy Energy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PSE Healthy Energy is an independent nonprofit research institute that conducts scientific research at the intersection of energy systems, climate change, and public health. It produces peer-reviewed publications, interactive data tools (such as the Methane Risk Map and Refinery Risk Map), air quality monitoring networks, and science advising services for government agencies, regulators, academic institutions, and communities. Its work translates complex energy and environmental science into actionable evidence for energy policy and public health protection.
Product overview
PSE Healthy Energy is an independent scientific research institute (not a software product company) that generates science-based energy and climate solutions. Their offering portfolio consists of research publications, peer-reviewed studies, data tools (including the Methane Risk Map, Refinery Risk Map, and California Solar Map), advisory services, and the Methane + Health Initiative. These products work together to provide actionable science for energy policy through research, data visualization, and stakeholder engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Methane + Health Initiative: A multi-year research initiative assessing air pollution and health risks from known methane sources, part of PSE's work on methane emissions.
- Methane Risk Map
- Refinery Risk Map
Products and services
- Methane Risk Map Interactive digital tool that displays air concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) co-released during methane emissions events. It integrates satellite methane observations (via Carbon Mapper), gas composition research, regulatory-grade dispersion modeling, and demographic data to map human health risks from methane-linked pollutants for regulators, researchers, and communities. The database covers 1,423 methane emissions events across 13 states spanning 2016-2025.
- Refinery Risk Map Interactive mapping tool that visualizes air pollution from petrochemical facilities in the Gulf Coast and Ohio River Valley, supporting communities and regulators to understand refinery-related health and environmental risks.
- California Solar Map Interactive mapping tool that visualizes data on distributed solar adoption in California, including deployment rates by census tract, environmental justice metrics, utility service territory, and year, supporting analysis of clean energy deployment and equity.
- California Public Safety Power Shutoff Interactive Map Interactive mapping tool for tracking Public Safety Power Shutoffs in California and their community impacts, supporting analysis of grid resilience and energy equity.
- Methane + Health Initiative Multi-year research initiative to improve scientific and public understanding of the link between methane emissions, air pollution, and public health. It anchors PSE's methane-focused research portfolio, including the Methane Risk Map.
- Richmond Air Monitoring Network (RAMN) Dense network of air quality monitors in Richmond, North Richmond, and San Pablo, California providing real-time air pollution measurements in partnership with UC Berkeley and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.
- Science Advising Advisory services providing science-based energy and climate expertise to government agencies, regulators, environmental organizations, and communities on energy, climate, and public health matters.
- Peer-Reviewed Research and Publications Scientific research publications covering topics including methane emissions, air quality, benzene exposure, energy equity, climate resilience, and the health impacts of fossil fuels and clean energy alternatives, published in leading journals such as Environmental Research Letters, Environmental Science & Technology, and PNAS Nexus.
Quantifiable outcome
- Research informed California's nation-leading 3,200 foot setback between communities and oil and gas wells
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use PSE Healthy Energy
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PSE Healthy Energy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
PSE Healthy Energy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Stanford UniversitycoreCo-authored research on benzene in European gas supplies with Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability. Led by Professor Rob Jackson, the partnership has produced multiple studies on natural gas composition, indoor air quality, and health impacts from gas appliances.
- Global Methane HubmajorCollaboration at COP30 on methane and health panels. Global Methane Hub pledged $30 million for low-emissions rice farming and $10 million for Latin American methane reduction efforts, aligning with PSE's research priorities.
- Carbon MappercorePartnership to integrate Carbon Mapper's satellite methane observations with PSE's gas composition research and health risk modeling on the Methane Risk Map. Carbon Mapper provides methane emissions rate data for 1,423 events analyzed on the platform.
- University of California, BerkeleycorePartnership on Contra Costa Climate, Air Pollution, and Pregnancy Study. UC Berkeley's Dr. Ajay Pillarisetti serves as co-principal investigator alongside PSE's Dr. Elena Krieger.
- Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)corePartnership on the Richmond Air Monitoring Network, a community-based air quality monitoring initiative in Richmond, North Richmond, and San Pablo, California.
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)minorCommissioned PSE to evaluate potential water resource impacts from proposed oil drilling operations in Big Cypress National Preserve.
- Environmental Integrity ProjectminorPartnered with NRDC to commission PSE's impact evaluation of proposed oil drilling operations in Big Cypress National Preserve.
- Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER)coreLong-standing collaboration on energy affordability and clean energy transition reports. Co-authored studies on Maryland and Colorado energy affordability with IEER President Dr. Arjun Makhijani.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PSE Healthy Energy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Carbon Mapper: Carbon Mapper is a nonprofit coalition operating satellite-based methane and CO2 detection infrastructure that feeds data directly into PSE's Methane Risk Map. It is both a technical partner and a partial peer in the methane-data value chain, focused on emissions detection rather than health-risk translation.
- Climate Central: Climate Central is a nonprofit that produces and visualizes climate science for media, policymakers, and the public. Like PSE, it builds interactive data tools and emphasizes translating science into public action, though its focus is broader climate communication rather than energy-health intersection.
- HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team): HEET is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit focused on natural gas leak mitigation, energy efficiency, and gas-to-heat-pump transition research. It overlaps with PSE's gas infrastructure and indoor air pollution work but is smaller and more regionally focused in the Northeast.
- Earthworks: Earthworks is a nonprofit that conducts scientific research on oil, gas, and mining impacts on communities and uses findings in advocacy campaigns. It is comparable to PSE's environmental justice and community impact research, though it lacks PSE's dispersion-modeling and gas composition capabilities.
Direct peers
- Clean Air Task Force: Clean Air Task Force is a nonprofit that produces scientific and technical research to reduce air pollution, including methane from oil and gas. It is a direct peer to PSE in regulatory-grade dispersion modeling, methane super-emitter research, and federal policy advocacy on energy and climate.
- Stockholm Environment Institute: SEI is an independent nonprofit research institute producing policy-relevant environmental and climate science at global scale. It mirrors PSE's model of bridging rigorous research with international policy engagement and operates similar grant-funded research programs on air quality and energy transitions.
- RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): RMI is an independent nonprofit research institute that conducts technical and policy analysis on clean energy transitions. Like PSE, RMI combines rigorous scientific research with engagement of policymakers and utilities, and overlaps directly on methane, energy affordability, and decarbonization pathway work.
Broad incumbents
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): NRDC is a broad environmental advocacy organization with deep expertise in air quality, energy policy, and fossil fuel impacts. It has commissioned PSE research (e.g., Big Cypress oil drilling review) and serves as both a partner and broader-incumbent peer operating across environmental and climate domains.
- Environmental Defense Fund: EDF is a large environmental nonprofit with a long-running oil-and-gas methane program, satellite partnerships (including MethaneSAT), and science-based policy advocacy. It is a major incumbent funder and collaborator of PSE (e.g., New Mexico emissions report) operating at materially larger scale across broader environmental issues.
Others
- Clean Energy States Alliance: CESA is a nonprofit coalition of state clean energy funds and agencies that convenes stakeholders and publishes analysis on clean energy policy. It is an ecosystem peer to PSE on state-level energy and decarbonization work, useful as a distribution and convening channel rather than a research competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PSE Healthy Energy social profiles
Digital presencePSE Healthy Energy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PSE Healthy Energy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
PSE Healthy Energy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PSE Healthy Energy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PSE Healthy Energy
What does PSE Healthy Energy do?
PSE Healthy Energy is an independent nonprofit research institute that conducts scientific research at the intersection of energy systems, climate change, and public health. It produces peer-reviewed publications, interactive data tools (such as the Methane Risk Map and Refinery Risk Map), air quality monitoring networks, and science advising services for government agencies, regulators, academic institutions, and communities. Its work translates complex energy and environmental science into actionable evidence for energy policy and public health protection.
Is PSE Healthy Energy a public or private company?
PSE Healthy Energy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PSE Healthy Energy founded?
PSE Healthy Energy was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PSE Healthy Energy based?
PSE Healthy Energy is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does PSE Healthy Energy make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research Grants and Contracts are the primary driver. The others are science Advising Services and philanthropic Donations.
Who are PSE Healthy Energy's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Carbon Mapper, Climate Central, HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) and Earthworks. Direct peers are Clean Air Task Force, Stockholm Environment Institute and RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute). Broad incumbents are Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Environmental Defense Fund. Clean Energy States Alliance is listed as an others.
Does PSE Healthy Energy have an API?
No public API is recorded for PSE Healthy Energy.