Consumer Energy Alliance

What Consumer Energy Alliance does

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization headquartered in Houston, Texas, founded in 2005 to represent families, small businesses, farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and educators in U.S. energy policy debates. CEA's stated mission is advancing nonpartisan energy policy that delivers affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy, and the organization explicitly opposes regulatory and legislative actions it characterizes as raising consumer energy costs or restricting energy choice. The organization operates ten regional chapters covering Alaska, the Gulf Coast, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Continent, Midwest, Northeast, Rockies, Southeast, and Southwest regions, each typically led by an executive director who conducts state-level advocacy and media engagement.

CEA's core offerings are not technology products but membership programs, policy research, and advocacy campaigns. Membership is structured into four tiers — Educator (in-kind for credentialed K-12 educators), the Voice ($2,500/year for small businesses and individuals), the Amplifier ($15,000/year for expanded policy engagement), and the Champion ($30,000/year for corporate members with access to a member data portal, monthly briefings, and customized consumer data). Educational and analytical resources include the Power To Know initiative, an Energy Calculator consumer tool, regional and topical Reports & Polling, the People for Energy nationwide grassroots campaign, and corporate Champions for Energy engagement. Distribution relies on direct membership sales, grassroots organizing through regional chapters, and self-serve website-based sign-up; marketing channels emphasize content (blog, op-eds, video series), email outreach, webinars, and earned media.

CEA monetizes primarily through tiered annual membership contributions, which under 501(c)(4) status are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions. The organization does not publish financial statements, and revenue is not externally disclosed. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range, consistent with a national advocacy body that outsources substantial field operations through coalition partners. Leadership includes President David Holt, Executive Vice President for Public Policy and State Affairs Marc Brown (who also serves as Northeast Executive Director), Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications Jeff Ostermayer (appointed January 2026), and regional executive directors across the chapter network. Recent strategic activity has centered on EPA Class VI well primacy (Texas and West Virginia), federal offshore leasing, FERC large load interconnection policy, Pennsylvania RGGI withdrawal, and a 2025 series of state-level reports positioning permissive energy policies as competitive advantages for AI/data center investment attraction.

Name

Consumer Energy Alliance

Legal name

Consumer Energy Alliance

Website

https://consumerenergyalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Consumer Energy Alliance is a Houston-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit that advocates for affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy policy on behalf of families, small businesses, farmers, manufacturers, and educators across 10 U.S. regional chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Policy Advocacy

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Energy policy advocacy
• Consumer advocacy
• Grassroots advocacy
• Energy education
• Coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: CEA generates revenue through tiered membership programs including Educator (in-kind), The Voice ($2,500), The Amplifier ($15,000), and The Champion ($30,000) tiers. Members receive access to advocacy resources, webinars, state-level reports, and participation in coalition campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization that advocates for affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy policies on behalf of American families, small businesses, farmers, manufacturers, and educators. The organization operates through tiered membership programs, 10 regional chapters across the United States, and educational resources, while conducting grassroots organizing, policy analysis, and coalition-based advocacy at federal and state levels.

Product overview

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is a nonpartisan energy advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. CEA operates through membership programs (Educators, Individual & Small Business, Advocate, Champion tiers), a network of 10 regional chapters across the United States, and educational resources including an Energy Calculator, Reports & Polling publications, and the Power To Know initiative. The organization runs the People for Energy Campaign driven by the Leaders for Energy corporate membership program. CEA does not offer technology products, software platforms, or API services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Programs Tiered annual memberships providing access to advocacy resources, webinars, state-level reports, coalition campaigns, legislative fly-ins, member-only briefings, and customized consumer data. Targeted at educators, small businesses, advocates, and corporate supporters.
• Regional Chapters Network A network of 10 regional chapters covering Alaska, Gulf Coast, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Continent, Midwest, Northeast, Rockies, Southeast, and Southwest regions, providing localized energy policy advocacy, community education, and grassroots organizing to local members and stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• CEA analysis found misguided energy policies could cost consumers $149.2 billion more in winter 2024-2025
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Power The Future: Pro-fossil-fuel 501(c)(4) advocacy organization with state chapters and grassroots campaigns promoting oil, gas, and nuclear energy. Directly comparable operating model and political positioning to CEA.
• American Energy Alliance: Closest naming and ideological peer — a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization promoting affordable and reliable energy with similar grassroots, state-level, and federal lobbying tactics. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and policy positions.
• Americans for Prosperity: Large Koch-aligned 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) advocacy network running state-level grassroots campaigns on energy, taxes, and regulation. Operates with a chapter model and corporate funding streams structurally identical to CEA's.
• Consumer Choice Center: International consumer-advocacy nonprofit focused on consumer choice in energy, food, and technology. Similar mission framing (consumer-first affordability) and comparable advocacy tactics, although more globally oriented.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Manufacturers: Major industry association representing manufacturers — a core CEA coalition segment. Engages in federal/state lobbying on energy costs and infrastructure in ways that materially overlap CEA's small-business and manufacturing advocacy.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest U.S. business federation. Pursues overlapping advocacy on federal energy, infrastructure, and permitting policy via membership dues from corporations — the same constituency CEA courts at the Champion tier.
• American Petroleum Institute: The dominant oil & gas industry trade association. Operates at far greater scale and budget but engages in overlapping federal lobbying, public-affairs campaigns, and state-level regulatory advocacy on the same energy-policy issues CEA addresses.

Others

• Public Citizen: Consumer-advocacy nonprofit frequently on opposing sides of energy fights (e.g., fossil fuel opposition, utility regulation). Useful as an adjacent peer for advocacy tactics, funding-model, and member mobilization rather than as a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC): State-legislator policy organization drafting model energy and environmental legislation. Operates in the same state-level policy arena where CEA's 10 regional chapters work, often as a counterweight force.
• Consumer Reports: Independent consumer-advocacy nonprofit with related policy work on utility regulation and energy affordability. Shares the consumer-first advocacy framing but focuses on product safety and ratings rather than energy lobbying.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ceaorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Consumer Energy Alliance