What Citizens For Responsible Energy Solutions does

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) is a privately held 501(c)(4) non-profit advocacy organization founded in 2013 by James Dozier and headquartered at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. The organization engages Republican federal and state policymakers, conservative stakeholders, and the public on conservative solutions to the nation's energy, economic, and environmental security challenges, with an emphasis on free-market clean energy approaches. CRES does not sell products or technology; instead, it delivers value through policy research, polling, legislative support, communications amplification via conservative media outlets, and convening activities centered on Republican clean energy champions.

CRES's core offerings are programs and events rather than technology products. These include the CRES Forum (a wholly-owned 501(c)(3) research and polling affiliate), National Clean Energy Week (NCEW), the Energy Leadership Summit, the annual Congressional Fly-In conducted in partnership with the Conservative Energy Network, the CRESponsible Leader monthly recognition program, the Clean Energy Champions Award, and two newsletters (Clean Energy Insider and Plugged In). Underlying capabilities consist of policy white papers authored by in-house directors, voter and policymaker polling, op-ed placement in conservative outlets (Washington Examiner, RealClearEnergy, Washington Times), and direct legislative engagement through fly-ins, briefings, and coalition building with the Conservative Energy Network spanning 24+ states.

The organization's revenue model is based on corporate partnerships and member contributions typical of 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations; corporate partners pay to access CRES's Republican engagement strategy, policy network, and event participation. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, targeting corporate entities in the energy and clean technology sectors that need a conservative-aligned advocacy channel. Leadership is split between President and CEO Heather Reams and Founding President & Board Chair James Dozier, with a board including Dan Crowley, Jason Kauppi, Ashlee Rich Stephenson, and Micah Yousefi, and a CFO (Tamara Kalandiya) with prior CFO/COO experience at the Middle East Institute.

Name

Citizens For Responsible Energy Solutions

Legal name

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Inc.

Website

https://cresenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit advocacy organization founded in 2013 that engages Republican federal and state policymakers on conservative clean energy, economic, and environmental policy through research, events, polling, and direct legislative advocacy.

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, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnerships: CRES invites corporate partners to support their educational and advocacy work through a partnership program. Corporate partners seek Republican engagement strategy to strengthen their own advocacy and education programs. Interested parties contact [email protected].

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CRES is a 501(c)(4) non-profit advocacy organization that engages Republican policymakers and the public on conservative solutions to energy, economic, and environmental security. The organization provides policy research, legislative strategy support, convening of conservative stakeholders, polling insights, and media amplification tailored for GOP audiences. Its offerings include the CRES Forum research arm, the annual National Clean Energy Week, the Energy Leadership Summit, and the Congressional Fly-In program.

Product overview

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit advocacy organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer software products or technology platforms. Instead, CRES operates as a policy advocacy organization that engages Republican policymakers on clean energy solutions. Its offerings consist of advocacy programs, events, publications, and research initiatives including CRES Forum (policy research arm), National Clean Energy Week, the Energy Leadership Summit, Congressional Fly-In Program, CRESponsible Leader recognition, Clean Energy Champions awards, and newsletters (CRES Clean Energy Insider, CRES Plugged In). The organization focuses on policy education, coalition building, and promoting conservative approaches to energy, economic, and environmental security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Clean Energy Week (NCEW): Annual awareness week to recognize the value of clean energy, established in 2017 by CRES and CRES Forum.
• CRES Forum

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of Republicans support all-of-the-above energy approach per CRES Forum polling
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Conservative Energy Network (CEN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026CRES and CEN co-host the Annual Congressional Fly-In, bringing together advocates from multiple states for meetings with House and Senate offices. CEN CEO John Szoka participates in fly-in activities. The partnership spans advocacy for permitting reform, energy production, and grid infrastructure policy across conservative state coalitions in 24+ states.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ClearPath: ClearPath is a 501(c)(3) conservative clean energy advocacy and education organization—the closest direct peer to CRES, working on the same mission of advancing clean energy within conservative policy circles. Both target Republican policymakers with market-based energy solutions.
• Conservative Energy Network: CRES's explicit co-host partner for the Congressional Fly-In and a federation of state-level conservative energy advocates spanning 24+ states. Operates in the same niche—state and federal conservative clean-energy advocacy—and shares overlapping stakeholder relationships.

Broad incumbents

• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC): ALEC is a much larger conservative policy organization that drafts model state legislation on energy and many other issues. It competes for the same conservative policymaker audience at the state level but operates at far broader scale and across all policy domains.
• Heritage Foundation: One of the largest conservative think tanks in the US. Heritage engages Republican policymakers on a wide range of issues including energy and environmental policy, and dwarfs CRES in staff and budget—representing a large incumbent competing for the same legislator attention.
• R Street Institute: R Street is a center-right think tank that engages on energy and environmental policy with free-market framing—similar positioning to CRES but broader scope and operating as a 501(c)(3) research organization rather than a 501(c)(4) advocacy body.

Emerging players

• Climate Leadership Council: CLC is a policy advocacy organization promoting carbon dividends and market-based climate solutions with bipartisan support. Similar conservative-adjacent energy policy positioning but focused on a specific policy mechanism (carbon pricing) rather than broad clean energy advocacy.
• Third Way: Third Way is a center-left think tank that has engaged on clean energy and climate policy with market-friendly framing. Comparable intellectual approach (market-based climate solutions) but sits across the political aisle from CRES's core audience.

Others

• Bipartisan Policy Center: BPC runs energy and climate policy programs that engage both parties on clean energy and grid modernization—overlapping policy subject matter with CRES but explicitly bipartisan rather than single-party focused.
• National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) co-conveners: NCEW is co-convened by CRES and CRES Forum, drawing in dozens of partner organizations across the clean energy ecosystem. Many of these partners (e.g., ClearPath, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum, industry trade groups) participate annually and represent adjacent advocacy or industry voices in the same policy conversation.

Regional players

• Citizens' Climate Lobby: CCL is a large grassroots advocacy organization pushing for bipartisan climate solutions including carbon pricing. Operates across all 50 states with a much larger volunteer base but does not target the conservative ideological lane CRES specializes in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Citiz4Solutions
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CitizensFor
• Facebookfacebook.com/CitizensForSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citizensforresponsibleenergysolutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 For Responsible Energy Solutions