Institute for Energy and Environmental Research

What Institute for Energy and Environmental Research does

The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute headquartered in Takoma Park, Maryland, founded by Dr. Arjun Makhijani in 1987 (one source lists 1985) with founding support from the Ford Foundation's Energy Policy Project. IEER produces scientific and technical analysis on energy and environmental issues — including nuclear power, nuclear weapons, radioactive waste, climate change, and renewable energy — and distributes that analysis as publications, reports, factsheets, classroom materials, newsletters, and audiovisual content. Its core audiences are policy-makers, journalists, activists, and the general public; IEER's output is organized around four project areas: Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free, Renewable Maryland, Healthy from the Start, and Disarmament and Nonproliferation.

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market motion centered on free PDF distribution via ieer.org, supplemented by physical book sales, email newsletters, blog posts, social media, and external media commentary (including appearances on BBC and PBS NewsHour). Revenue is generated through donations, institutional grants, and minor publication sales rather than transactional pricing; physical books are priced $8.95–$55, though many publications are noted as no longer available for sale. IEER maintains co-publishing and distribution relationships with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), MIT Press, Brookings Institution Press, and The Apex Press, and collaborative partnerships with the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Just Solutions Collective, and the Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund. The Ford Foundation (founding) and Public Welfare Foundation are documented historical funders.

The website navigation includes a link titled 'Staff and Board at the time of closure,' which, combined with the absence of any disclosed revenue, funding rounds, or growth signals, suggests IEER may have wound down active operations while preserving its content archive online. 2026-dated articles and blog posts continue to appear on the site, indicating residual publishing activity but not necessarily an operating organization. IEER has no proprietary technology products, no AI/ML capabilities, and no disclosed software or data products — its underlying 'technology' is scientific and policy analysis delivered through written and audiovisual media.

Name

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research

Legal name

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research

Website

https://ieer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) is a Takoma Park, Maryland-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that produces scientific and technical analysis on nuclear power, nuclear weapons, climate change, and renewable energy for policy-makers, journalists, activists, and the public, distributed primarily through free online publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Takoma Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: IEER operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization that relies on public donations and institutional support to fund its research and advocacy work.
2. Publication Sales: IEER sells books and publications (though many are available for free download), with prices ranging from $8.95 to $55 for physical copies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IEER is a non-profit research institute that produces and disseminates scientific and technical information on energy and environmental issues, including nuclear power, nuclear weapons, radioactive waste, climate change, and renewable energy. Its core deliverables are research publications, factsheets, reports, policy analyses, a blog, classroom materials, and consulting services, distributed primarily as free digital content via ieer.org and through partner publishers.

Product overview

The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) is a non-profit research institute focused on providing scientific and technical information on energy and environmental issues to activists, policy-makers, journalists, and the public. IEER does not offer a traditional software product; instead, it produces publications, reports, factsheets, newsletters, and audiovisual resources covering topics such as nuclear power, nuclear weapons, climate change, renewable energy, and disarmament. Key projects include Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free, Renewable Maryland, Healthy from the Start, and Disarmament and Nonproliferation. The organization publishes books on topics including nuclear waste management, plutonium dangers, energy policy, and environmental health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consulting Services Expert consulting on energy and environmental issues, including technical analysis on nuclear weapons, radiation protection, climate change, and renewable energy, offered to organizations, NGOs, and policy clients.
• IEER Books and Publications Print books and publications covering nuclear weapons, nuclear power, radioactive waste, energy policy, climate change, and environmental health, priced $8.95 to $55 per copy, distributed via PayPal and direct contact.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEER collaborates with NIRS on joint statements and advocacy regarding nuclear weapons and radiation issues, including the 2017 statement on Radiation and Gender supporting the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty.
• International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint production of significant publications including 'Nuclear Wastelands' and 'Radioactive Heaven and Earth'. IPPNW is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization.
• Brookings Institution PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublished 'Atomic Audit' through Brookings Institution Press, a major academic publisher.
• The Apex PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublished multiple books through The Apex Press including 'Radioactive Heaven and Earth' and 'Ecology and Genetics'.
• MIT PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublished 'Mending the Ozone Hole' through MIT Press, a prestigious academic publisher.
• Just Solutions CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEER produces reports for the Just Solutions Collective on energy justice and clean energy transition issues, including papers on energy burdens and long-duration energy storage.
• Climate and Clean Energy Equity FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-published paper on energy burdens with the Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund to elevate energy burden issues during 2021 congressional deliberations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Climate Central: Nonprofit that produces scientific content and visualizations on climate change for journalists and the public. Comparable as a science-communication nonprofit serving media and policy audiences.
• Just Solutions Collective: Energy-justice focused organization that commissions research from IEER. Comparable as an adjacent mission-driven partner working on energy equity and clean-energy transition.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: Large grassroots environmental organization that engages on energy, climate, and nuclear issues. Comparable in advocacy mission and public-engagement model, though much larger in membership and scope.
• Natural Resources Defense Council: Large environmental advocacy organization that produces scientific analysis and policy research on climate, energy, and nuclear issues. Comparable as a science-driven advocacy nonprofit, though much broader in scope and funding scale than IEER.
• World Resources Institute: Global research organization producing technical analysis on energy, climate, and sustainability. Comparable as a science-driven policy research nonprofit, though larger and more broadly scoped.

Direct peers

• Physicians for Social Responsibility: U.S. affiliate of IPPNW (Nobel Peace Prize-winning) that produces scientific analysis on nuclear weapons, radiation health, and climate. Closely aligned with IEER's health-and-nuclear focus and partner ecosystem.
• Nuclear Information and Resource Service: Anti-nuclear advocacy organization that co-publishes and co-advocates with IEER on radiation and nuclear-weapons issues. Direct peer in mission, audience, and partnership overlap.
• Resources for the Future: Independent, nonprofit research institution focused on energy, environmental, and natural-resource economics. Highly comparable to IEER in producing rigorous, accessible scientific analysis for policy audiences.
• Union of Concerned Scientists: Independent science-based advocacy nonprofit that conducts technical analysis on nuclear power, climate, and energy policy. Directly comparable to IEER in mission, audience (policymakers/journalists), and scientific-research-advocacy model.
• Environmental and Energy Study Institute: Nonprofit policy organization providing independent analysis on energy and environmental issues to policymakers and the public. Highly comparable to IEER in audience, distribution (publications/congressional briefings), and research-advocacy model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IEERArjun
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Institute-for-Energy-and-Environmental-Research-IEER/163900633655091
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-energy-and-environmental-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Institute for Energy and Environmental Research