Clean Energy Leadership Institute

Name

Clean Energy Leadership Institute

Legal name

Clean Energy Leadership Institute

Website

https://cleanenergyleaders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fellowship Tuition and Fees: CELI generates revenue through fellowship program tuition fees. The organization offers financial assistance to make programs accessible. Tuition and financial assistance details are available on their website at /2026-tuition-and-financial-assistance.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Donations: Corporate partners and individual donors support CELI's programs through financial contributions. The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (EIN 46-3102331) that accepts donations via Give Lively platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CELI delivers a signature Fellowship for Clean Energy Leaders, a multi-month cohort-based educational program that combines weekly evening sessions with in-person intensives for working professionals across the U.S. clean energy ecosystem. The curriculum covers energy systems expertise, adaptive leadership, and energy justice principles, delivered through regional in-person cohorts (Bay Area, Chicago, DC, NYC) and four virtual cohorts (PT, CT/MT, ET1, ET2). Complementary offerings include the EDICT summer internship program for early-career climate explorers and the emPOWER day-long industry conference.

Product overview

The Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational and professional development programs centered around its signature Fellowship for Clean Energy Leaders. The Fellowship equips emerging leaders with energy systems expertise, adaptive leadership skills, and energy justice principles. Complementing the Fellowship are the emPOWER Conference (an in-person day-long conference featuring current Fellows, field experts, and community members), EDICT (summer internship programming for early career explorers), and Community Programming that provides energy systems education to professionals nationwide. Together, these programs build a community of changemakers working across sectors to lead an equitable, decarbonized, and resilient energy ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EDICT: Early Diversity in Clean Tech - a summer internship program for early explorers of climate careers, launched in 2021.
• emPOWER

Products and services

• Fellowship for Clean Energy Leaders CELI's signature multi-month cohort fellowship for working professionals in the U.S. clean energy ecosystem, equipping emerging leaders with energy systems expertise, adaptive leadership approaches, energy justice principles, and a community of practice to drive the transition to a clean energy economy. Delivered through in-person regional cohorts (Bay Area, Chicago, DC, NYC) and four virtual cohorts across U.S. time zones via weekly 2-hour evening sessions plus in-person intensives.
• EDICT (Energy Development and Internship Career Training) Summer internship programming supporting approximately 250 early-career explorers of climate careers through placement with clean energy organizations, providing energy systems exposure and career pathways into the clean energy sector.
• emPOWER Conference CELI's in-person, non-traditional, day-long conference leveraging the talent, leadership, and knowledge of current and past Fellows, field experts, partners, and community members to break through silos within the clean energy industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,465+ emerging leaders trained through signature Fellowship since 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerE2 is a partner organization supporting CELI's programs. Bob Keefe, E2's Executive Director, serves on CELI's Board of Directors.
• EDP RenewablescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP Renewables supports CELI as a Kilowatt supporter and employer partner, with fellows from the company participating in the program.
• NextrackercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNextracker is a Gigawatt supporter of CELI's programs. The company employs CELI fellows and engages with the fellowship community.
• NexampcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNexamp, the nation's largest community solar developer, co-hosted an event with CELI to open their Chicago office as second headquarters. Nexamp employs CELI fellows.
• Clean CapitalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Capital supports CELI as a Watt supporter.
• SolSystemssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolSystems supports CELI as a Kilowatt supporter.
• Trajectory Energy PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrajectory Energy Partners supports CELI as a Trajectory supporter.
• Adaptive Change AdvisorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Friend of CELI, providing support for programs.
• SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Friend of CELI, providing industry partnership.
• UtilityAPIsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Friend of CELI, supporting programs.
• YES SFsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Friend of CELI.
• 9ZerosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a Friend of CELI supporting climate initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2): National nonprofit of business leaders advocating for clean energy and environmental policy. E2 is a CELI board/partner organization and offers overlapping leadership-development and policy-education programming to working clean-energy professionals.
• Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA): Member-led organization focused on corporate clean energy procurement, providing education, working groups, and leadership development for professionals advancing clean energy deals. Comparable audience and community-led model.
• Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA): Nonprofit coalition of state clean energy funds and programs offering fellowships, convenings, and education programs for clean energy professionals. Strongly comparable mission and program structure to CELI.
• Climate Generation: Nonprofit that empowers and supports climate leaders through education, storytelling, and leadership programming. Comparable mission of building a diverse pipeline of climate/clean energy leaders, with overlapping employer and donor audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): National trade association for the U.S. solar industry that runs workforce development, policy education, and leadership programming. SEIA is a CELI 'Friend' partner and serves a comparable audience of clean energy professionals and employers.
• American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE): National nonprofit that convenes renewable energy leaders across finance, policy, and technology. ACORE runs leadership forums and policy education targeting the same cross-sector clean energy professional audience as CELI.
• Bipartisan Policy Center (Energy Program): Washington-based think tank with an energy program that convenes cross-sector leaders on clean energy policy. Comparable audience of policy, utility, and finance professionals engaged in the clean energy transition.
• Aspen Institute (Energy & Environment Program): Nonprofit policy and leadership organization whose Energy & Environment Program convenes senior leaders across clean energy, policy, and adjacent sectors. Comparable leadership-development and convening function to CELI, at a more senior audience tier.

Emerging players

• Energy Impact Partners: Global investment platform focused on clean energy and decarbonization, founded by and connected to utility and energy leaders. Energy Impact Partners is also a CELI Gigawatt supporter and Co-Founder/Chairman's firm, with overlapping talent-development objectives.

Regional players

• Green America: National nonprofit focused on economic strategies for a just and sustainable economy, including clean energy education and community programs. Tangentially comparable as a mission-aligned nonprofit working on clean energy workforce and consumer education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-energy-leadership-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Clean Energy Leadership Institute