Citizens Action Coalition

What Citizens Action Coalition does

Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1974 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the state's oldest and largest consumer and environmental advocacy organization, focused on representing residential utility ratepayers before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) and the Indiana General Assembly. The organization claims to have helped Indiana residents avoid more than $10 billion in excess utility charges since inception through regulatory intervention, litigation, and legislative advocacy.

CAC's core offerings are advocacy services rather than commercial products. These include formal intervention in utility rate cases and Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) proceedings, expert analysis of utility planning models (frequently supported by external consultancies such as Energy Futures Group and partners Earthjustice and Vote Solar), legislative testimony, and public education tools such as the monthly Citizen Power newsletter, email action alerts, legislator voting records, and consumer complaint guidance. Current active campaigns span utility affordability, AES and Duke rate hike opposition, AI data center impacts, carbon capture risk, community solar expansion, and renewable energy policy.

CAC's revenue model is contribution-based. Phone and field canvass operations generate 63% of income, a dedicated endowment contributes 12% (seeded by a $150 million ratepayer refund won in the 1990s after halting PSI Energy's Marble Hill nuclear plant), and grants, foundation dollars, and miscellaneous income supply the remaining 25%. The organization reports that 73% of contributions are directed to program activities (lobbying, litigating, research), with 9% to administrative overhead and 18% to fundraising.

Name

Citizens Action Coalition

Legal name

Citizens Action Coalition

Website

https://citact.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Citizens Action Coalition is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded in 1974 and Indiana's oldest and largest consumer and environmental advocacy organization. It represents residential utility ratepayers through regulatory intervention, litigation, and legislative advocacy before the IURC and Indiana General Assembly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Advocacy Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ), Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Utility rate advocacy
• Consumer advocacy
• Regulatory intervention
• Energy policy advocacy
• Environmental protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Canvass Operations: Phone and field canvassing operations generate the majority of revenue at 63%. Canvassers work directly for the organization to raise funds and build membership.
2. Endowment: The CAC Endowment (12% of revenue) was created in the 1990s from a legal victory in stopping PSI Energy from building the Marble Hill nuclear power plant. The courts ordered PSI to refund $150 million to ratepayers, with a portion creating this endowment.
3. Grants and Foundation Funding: Grant money and foundation dollars make up approximately 25% of revenue, along with event revenue and other miscellaneous income sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Citizens Action Coalition is Indiana's oldest and largest consumer advocacy organization, founded in 1974, that represents residential utility ratepayers before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) and the Indiana General Assembly. The organization focuses on utility rate cases, energy policy, environmental protection, and provides grassroots organizing through canvassers, newsletters, and email action alerts to mobilize citizen engagement on utility and energy issues.

Product overview

Citizens Action Coalition is Indiana's oldest and largest consumer and environmental advocacy organization, founded in 1974. The organization does not offer commercial software products; instead, it provides advocacy services focused on protecting residential utility ratepayers. Its core offerings include regulatory advocacy before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), legislative advocacy at the Indiana General Assembly, public education campaigns, and grassroots organizing tools such as the Citizen Power Newsletter and Email Action Alerts system. The organization actively intervenes in utility rate cases, Integrated Resource Plan proceedings, and campaigns on issues including AI data centers, utility affordability, climate change, and renewable energy transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Citizen Power Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved Hoosiers more than $10 billion in excess utility charges since 1974

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CAC Education FundcoreOthersThe CAC Education Fund is an affiliated organization that conducts educational activities separate from CAC's advocacy work. It is listed as an internal organizational component on CAC's website under the About section.
• EarthjusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental legal organization that partners with CAC on utility advocacy. In May 2022, CAC and Earthjustice, along with Vote Solar and consultant Energy Futures Group, submitted an extensive report and modeling challenging Duke Energy Indiana's Integrated Resource Plan.
• Vote SolarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar advocacy organization that partners with CAC on challenging utility Integrated Resource Plans. Submitted joint report with CAC and Earthjustice on Duke Energy Indiana's IRP, analyzing clean energy alternatives.
• Energy Futures GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert consulting firm engaged by CAC to analyze utility IRP models and assumptions. Provided technical modeling expertise for challenging Duke Energy Indiana's 2021 IRP.
• Indiana Conservation VoterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental advocacy organization that partnered with CAC to develop the Ratepayer Relief Plan released in January 2026. Joint effort to develop policy solutions for lowering energy costs for Hoosiers.
• Hoosiers for Community SolarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition campaign focused on expanding community solar access in Indiana. CAC works to make solar benefits accessible to all Hoosiers through this initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cacindiana
• Facebookfacebook.com/cacindiana
• Instagraminstagram.com/cacindiana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Citizens Action Coalition