Clean Energy Works

What Clean Energy Works does

Clean Energy Works is a Washington, DC-based non-profit founded in 2014 that develops and promotes inclusive utility investment (IUI), a financing mechanism allowing electric utilities to fund clean energy upgrades at customer sites and recover costs through monthly on-bill charges that are designed to be less than the estimated savings, with no credit-score, income, or homeownership requirements. The organization serves investor-owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, state regulators, environmental-justice advocates, and rural and underserved communities, with documented engagement in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Virginia, and rural electric cooperative territories across the United States. Its core offerings are not software products but rather a suite of professional services: technical assistance and coaching for utilities implementing IUI programs, policy research and analysis, advocacy in state regulatory proceedings, and educational content including co-authored utility guides, toolkits, and grid-readiness reports developed with partners such as the Smart Electric Power Alliance, Environmental Defense Fund, Rural Power Coalition, and Building Decarbonization Coalition.

The organization is funded through foundation grants and utility consulting engagements rather than commercial sales. Its go-to-market is community- and policy-led: it builds relationships with utility decision-makers and grassroots organizing networks, provides direct technical assistance, and participates in formal regulatory proceedings to shape tariffs and program design. Recent milestones include the California Public Utilities Commission's December 2025 authorization of Southern California Edison's first electric-utility IUI pilot covering ~200 customer sites, Virginia Governor Spanberger's May 2026 signing of HB 1062 mandating a feasibility study for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company, and an active Illinois Commerce Commission proceeding to implement the state's Equitable Energy Upgrade Program under CEJA. A Fellowship program launched in 2025 extends its field-building capacity.

The organization is structured around Co-Executive Director leadership (Holmes Hummel as Founder and Co-Executive Director, Tamara Jones as Co-Executive Director) with a small staff of 1–10 supported by recent promotions creating dedicated roles for Market Innovation, Grid Edge Solutions, and Strategic Impact. Its technology footprint is non-proprietary — there is no software platform, no AI/ML capability, and no app; the intellectual property is institutional knowledge, convening power, and a content library of reports and toolkits used as quasi-standard references in the IUI field.

Name

Clean Energy Works

Legal name

Clean Energy Works

Website

https://cleanenergyworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clean Energy Works is a Washington, DC-based non-profit that provides technical assistance, policy advocacy, and research to help electric utilities and state regulators implement inclusive utility investments, a financing mechanism enabling no-credit, no-upfront-cost clean energy upgrades for renters, low-income, and rural households across 10+ U.S. states.

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Policy and Market Development Services: Clean Energy Works provides technical assistance, research, and coaching for utilities and energy providers interested in scaling up clean energy investments. Revenue appears to come from consulting engagements with utilities and partnerships with advocacy organizations. The organization also receives grants from environmental and equity-focused foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Clean Energy Works provides technical assistance, research, coaching, and policy advocacy services that help electric utilities and state regulators design, launch, and scale inclusive utility investment programs—financial mechanisms that allow utilities to invest directly in clean energy upgrades at customer sites and recover costs through monthly charges less than estimated savings. Core offerings include program and tariff design support, consumer protection frameworks, regulatory engagement, published research, and a community-organizing Fellowship, all delivered to utilities, policymakers, and advocacy organizations across the United States.

Product overview

Clean Energy Works is a nonprofit organization that provides technical assistance, research, and policy advocacy services focused on inclusive utility investments. Rather than a commercial software product, Clean Energy Works offers a suite of consulting and educational services including technical assistance for utilities, research publications, a fellowship program, and collaborative partnerships. The core offering is the inclusive utility investment mechanism—a financing approach that enables utilities to invest in clean energy upgrades at customer sites with cost recovery through monthly charges that are less than the estimated savings. Services are delivered through direct technical coaching, published research reports, partner collaborations, and community organizing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technical Assistance Services Highly technical expertise and coaching for electric utilities (investor-owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and municipal utilities), policymakers, and advocates interested in scaling up investments in the clean energy economy through inclusive utility investments.
• Research and Analysis Research on clean energy transitions, grid planning, and inclusive utility investment mechanisms that informs policy decisions and utility planning, including co-authored reports with organizations such as Environmental Defense Fund and SEPA.
• Policy Advocacy and Education Partnerships with policymakers and community advocates to advance equitable clean energy solutions, including technical assistance, educational resources, and relationship-building with local organizing networks to ensure broad participation in the clean energy economy.
• Inclusive Utility Investment Program Design Program design support for a financial mechanism that allows utilities to invest directly in energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades at customer sites, recovering costs through a monthly charge that is less than estimated savings, with no credit requirements or upfront costs for customers.
• Grid Readiness Planning Services Advisory services for rural electric cooperatives on preparing grid infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification, including load growth management, charging infrastructure planning, and grid readiness recommendations.
• Community Organizing Fellowship Program A community organizing fellowship designed to equip advocates with tools and strategies to mobilize community power and ensure inclusive utility investments reflect local goals and priorities across the regions Fellows represent.

Quantifiable outcome

• California approved its first inclusive utility investment pilot from an electric utility (SCE) in December 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• Rural Power Coalition (RPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025RPC released the Electric Cooperative Organizing Toolkit with Clean Energy Works highlighting inclusive utility investments as a solution to improve energy affordability for rural communities. RPC is a network of place-based community organizations working to increase energy democracy in rural electric cooperative utility sector.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Clean Energy Works partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund for the publication of 'Grid Readiness in Rural Electric Cooperatives for Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle Electrification,' a report providing recommendations for improving grid planning to manage load growth in rural electric cooperatives.
• Southern Environmental Law Center Virginia (SELC)supportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 May 2025SELC championed Virginia HB 1062 effort to advance inclusive utility investment feasibility studies, working alongside legislators and Clean Energy Works to deliver effective solutions for Virginians facing high energy costs.
• Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025Clean Energy Works and SEPA released a joint utility guide to scale inclusive utility investments for equitable clean energy access. The guide provides a comprehensive framework for utilities to implement inclusive utility investments, covering tariff design, consumer protections, and implementation best practices, developed through SEPA's Inclusive Utility Investment Task Force.
• Building Decarbonization CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2020The Building Decarbonization Coalition released a policy roadmap co-authored with Clean Energy Works for implementing accessible financing through tariffed on-bill programs. This followed stakeholder engagement with 150 participants over six months to develop criteria for selecting financial solutions.
• The Greenlining InstitutecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Greenlining Institute was a key advocate for California's SB 350 and subsequent inclusive utility investment policy development. They contributed significantly to CPUC proceedings and were instrumental in establishing inclusive utility investment as a solution for environmental justice communities.
• Green for AllsupportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental justice organization that contributed to the CPUC proceeding record and helped achieve California's inclusive utility investment pilot approval, supporting equitable clean energy access.
• Rewiring AmericasupportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerClean energy advocacy organization that contributed to CPUC proceeding record and panel discussions on inclusive utility investments, helping advance policy and public understanding.
• VEICsupportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerEnergy efficiency organization that contributed to CPUC proceeding and advocated for inclusive utility investment approval in California, helping broaden access to clean energy upgrades.
• Energy Efficiency Institute, Inc. (Pay As You Save®)coreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloper of the Pay As You Save® (PAYS) program, a trademarked inclusive utility investment program. Clean Energy Works references PAYS as the model for inclusive utility investment programs with established consumer protection standards endorsed by EPA's ENERGY STAR.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Energy Efficiency Institute, Inc. (Pay As You Save®): Developer of the trademarked Pay As You Save® (PAYS) program that Clean Energy Works explicitly references as the consumer-protection-standard model for inclusive utility investment. Both organizations focus on tariffed on-bill financing for clean energy upgrades without credit requirements.
• Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC): A nonprofit energy efficiency organization that contributed to the CPUC proceeding on inclusive utility investment in California alongside Clean Energy Works. Both provide technical assistance to utilities on clean energy program design and serve as implementation partners for inclusive clean energy finance.
• Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA): Co-developer with Clean Energy Works of the joint utility guide for scaling inclusive utility investments and convener of the Inclusive Utility Investment Task Force. Both organizations serve as utility-focused convening and research bodies in the clean energy transition.
• Grid Alternatives: A nonprofit focused on equitable clean energy access for low-income and underserved communities through workforce development and solar installation programs. Highly comparable mission to Clean Energy Works around removing financial and structural barriers to clean energy adoption.
• Building Decarbonization Coalition: Co-author with Clean Energy Works of the 2020 Accessible Financing Roadmap for tariffed on-bill programs. Both organizations work on building decarbonization policy and consumer-facing financing mechanisms for clean energy upgrades.
• Rewiring America: A clean energy advocacy organization that contributed to the CPUC proceeding record and panel discussions on inclusive utility investments alongside Clean Energy Works. Both work on consumer adoption of electrification and clean energy access.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): Co-author with Clean Energy Works of the 2025 Grid Readiness in Rural Electric Cooperatives report on MHDV electrification. EDF is a major environmental advocacy organization that also partners on equitable clean energy access initiatives.
• Vote Solar: A nonprofit solar advocacy organization focused on state-level policy to expand distributed solar access, including in low-income and renter households. Highly comparable to Clean Energy Works' work on tariffed on-bill programs that enable distributed clean energy adoption.
• Elevate Energy: A nonprofit that designs and implements energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy programs with a focus on equity and serving low-income communities. Comparable to Clean Energy Works in delivering technical assistance to utilities on inclusive clean energy programs.

Broad incumbents

• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): A larger clean energy think tank that produces research and policy analysis across the energy transition, including on building decarbonization, utility business models, and equitable access. More broadly scoped than Clean Energy Works but operates in an adjacent policy and market-development space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cleanenergyworks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-energy-works
• Instagraminstagram.com/cleanenergywrks
• Xx.com/cleanenergywrks

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 Clean Energy Works