Permit Power
Permit Power is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 2024 that conducts research, education, and advocacy to reduce bureaucratic barriers to rooftop solar and home battery adoption. It serves American homeowners and state and local governments through policy research, a 50-state scorecard, and state-level reform campaigns.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Permit Power does
Permit Power is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 2024 that conducts research, education, and advocacy aimed at reducing bureaucratic barriers to residential rooftop solar and home battery adoption. The organization targets two constituent groups: American residential homeowners who face soft costs (permitting, inspection, interconnection) that drive U.S. rooftop solar prices to roughly $35,000 versus $6,000 in Australia for comparable systems, and state and local governments whose permitting and interconnection processes are the subject of its policy reform recommendations. The founding team — led by CEO Nick Josefowitz (former SPUR policy lead and solar power plant developer), Co-Founder and Chief of Advocacy Hannah Birnbaum (former Sierra Club national field operation leader), and Co-Founder and Chief of Policy Ben Davis (former California legislature campaign leader) — is supplemented by directors with prior roles at the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Vote Solar, the Center for American Progress, Rewiring America, and the National Parks Conservation Association.
The organization's product portfolio consists entirely of freely distributed research publications rather than commercial technology. Its flagship offering, the "As Cheap as Our Peers" report (October 2025), models that eliminating permitting red tape could enable 18.2 million additional U.S. households to install rooftop solar by 2040, deliver 198.1 GW of additional capacity, reduce average household electricity bills by 61%, and produce $1.2 trillion in cumulative 25-year savings. This national report is paired with a 50-state Solar Permitting Scorecard (co-authored with Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group), state-specific permitting barrier reports for Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, and Maryland, a Pima County/Tucson SolarAPP+ case study, and safety fact sheets on plug-in solar and remote virtual inspections. The organization does not develop its own permitting software; instead, it advocates for adoption of third-party tools such as SolarAPP+, and the CEO holds a board seat at the SolarAPP Foundation.
Permit Power's go-to-market is a community-led, event- and content-driven advocacy model rather than a commercial sales motion. The organization generates awareness through research reports, op-eds (including a Bill McKibben piece in Mother Jones), feature coverage in Heatmap News, Canary Media, Volts, and the Financial Times, podcast appearances (notably SunCast), and an active presence on LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky. Revenue comes from undisclosed donations and grants, consistent with its nonprofit status. Operating in a single U.S. market, the organization has built a coalition spanning Sierra Club, Environment America, CHESSA, Good Air, PowerLines, OpenSolar, and the SolarAPP Foundation, with its 9-person leadership team enabling parallel state-level campaigns in Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, Maryland, and beyond.
Permit Power firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Permit Power
- Legal name
- Permit Power
- Website
- https://permitpower.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Permit Power is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 2024 that conducts research, education, and advocacy to reduce bureaucratic barriers to rooftop solar and home battery adoption. It serves American homeowners and state and local governments through policy research, a 50-state scorecard, and state-level reform campaigns.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Permit Power industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clean Energy Policy Advocacy
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Electrical Work (1731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Building Codes, Permitting & Inspections (Building Safety) (BPAIANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Facility Siting, Permitting & Land-Use Regulatory Compliance (Multi-media Permitting, Zoning/Entitlements Support) (EUAHABAH), Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB)
Keywords
Permit Power business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Nonprofit operations (funding model not disclosed): As a nonprofit organization focused on energy affordability advocacy, Permit Power operates through donations and grants. The specific funding sources are not disclosed in available materials.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Permit Power product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Permit Power is a nonprofit organization that conducts policy research, public education, and advocacy to dismantle bureaucratic barriers (permitting, interconnection, inspection) that inflate the cost of residential rooftop solar and home batteries in the United States. Its deliverables are free research reports, state-level policy scorecards, fact sheets, and case studies (e.g., the Solar Permitting Scorecard grading all 50 states, the As Cheap as Our Peers report, and state-specific permitting reports for Colorado, Arizona, Maryland, and Virginia) that support state-level permitting and interconnection reform.
Product overview
Permit Power is a nonprofit energy affordability organization that does not sell commercial products. Its primary offerings are policy research reports, educational resources, and advocacy materials focused on reducing bureaucratic barriers to residential rooftop solar and home battery adoption. The organization's product portfolio consists entirely of freely available research publications including the Solar Permitting Scorecard (grading all 50 states), state-specific permitting barrier reports, fact sheets on solar safety and technology, and case studies on successful permitting reforms. These research products work together to provide evidence-based analysis supporting policy changes at state and local levels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Solar Permitting Scorecard
- As Cheap as Our Peers Report
- Unleashing Maryland's Residential Solar Market
- A 21st-Century Permitting Regime for Rooftop Solar and Home Batteries in Virginia
- Removing Permitting Barriers to Home Energy Production in Colorado
- Removing Permitting Barriers to Home Energy Production in Arizona
- Safety of Plug-in Solar Fact Sheet
- Safety of Remote Virtual Inspections for Residential Solar and Storage Systems
- Pima County and Tucson Automated Permitting Case Study
Quantifiable outcome
- 61% reduction in electricity bills by 2040 for families adopting cheap rooftop solar
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Permit Power
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Permit Power technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Permit Power partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Environment America Research & Policy CentercoreCollaborated on the Solar Permitting Scorecard report grading all 50 states on removing obstacles to rooftop solar and home batteries. Environment America Research & Policy Center is a national environmental research organization.
- Frontier GroupcoreCo-authored the Solar Permitting Scorecard with Environment America and Permit Power. Frontier Group is a research organization focused on environmental and consumer issues.
- Sierra ClubcoreCo-authored Maryland residential solar report with Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association, Permit Power, and Good Air. Many team members came from Sierra Club, including Hannah Birnbaum (former national field operation overseer) and Caelan Hidalgo Schick (former Sierra Club operations staff).
- Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association (CHESSA)coreCo-authored reports including the Virginia report on 21st-century permitting regime and Maryland residential solar market report with Permit Power and other partners.
- Good AirminorCo-authored the Unleashing Maryland's Residential Solar Market report alongside Sierra Club, CHESSA, and Permit Power.
- SolarAPP FoundationcoreNick Josefowitz, Permit Power CEO, serves on the Board of the SolarAPP Foundation. SolarAPP+ is an automated permitting tool that Permit Power promotes; over 240 jurisdictions have signed up since 2020.
- PowerLinesminorConsumer education nonprofit whose founder Charles Hua was quoted in the As Cheap as Our Peers report release, discussing energy affordability crisis.
- OpenSolarminorHome solar software provider whose Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Birch was quoted in the report release endorsing the findings on automated permitting and standardized code.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Permit Power competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- SolarAPP Foundation: Foundation managing the SolarAPP+ automated permitting tool that Permit Power actively champions in legislative advocacy. Both share solar-permitting focus; the Foundation provides the technical product while Permit Power drives policy adoption.
Broad incumbents
- Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): Clean-energy think tank producing rigorous cost and policy analyses. Overlaps with Permit Power's quantitative research approach (modeling soft-cost reductions) but RMI serves a broader, more global agenda spanning transport, buildings, and industry.
- Sierra Club: Large incumbent environmental advocacy organization with an active Beyond Coal / clean energy portfolio. Permit Power co-publishes reports with Sierra Club and several of its leaders came from Sierra Club's national field operation; Sierra Club operates at much larger scale across a wider agenda.
- The Pew Charitable Trusts: Established nonprofit that runs clean-energy and conservation issue campaigns. Comparable organizationally and as an employer of Permit Power's Campaign Director; Pew's broader scope differentiates it as a broad incumbent rather than a direct peer.
- Center for American Progress: Public policy think tank with a Conservation Program that Nicole Gentile previously directed. Permit's Campaign Director and CAP share the policy-research-plus-state-advocacy model, but CAP covers a far broader agenda and operates nationally with congressional access.
- National Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Large environmental advocacy organization active in clean energy and grid policy at federal and state levels. Overlaps with Permit Power's clean-energy affordability mission but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
Direct peers
- Rewiring America: Nonprofit that publishes research on home electrification, grid economics, and policy pathways. Permit Power's Research Director Wael Kanj came directly from Rewiring America; both organizations produce state- and federal-level research to drive electrification policy.
- Environment America Research & Policy Center: Environmental policy research and state advocacy nonprofit. Co-author with Permit Power on the 50-state Solar Permitting Scorecard, making it a peer in both mission and direct output collaboration.
- Vote Solar: Clean-energy policy advocacy nonprofit focused on state-level distributed solar and equitable energy policy. Directly comparable: another state- and PUC-focused solar advocacy org whose former Southeast Deputy Program Director (Lindsey Hallock) now leads interconnection policy at Permit Power.
Regional players
- Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association (CHESSA): Regional solar and storage trade/advocacy organization in the Chesapeake region. Co-authored state-level reports with Permit Power (Maryland and Virginia), making it a regional peer with similar state-permitting-reform mission.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Permit Power social profiles
Digital presencePermit Power financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Permit Power leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Permit Power funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Permit Power M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Permit Power
What does Permit Power do?
Permit Power is a nonprofit organization that conducts policy research, public education, and advocacy to dismantle bureaucratic barriers (permitting, interconnection, inspection) that inflate the cost of residential rooftop solar and home batteries in the United States. Its deliverables are free research reports, state-level policy scorecards, fact sheets, and case studies (e.g., the Solar Permitting Scorecard grading all 50 states, the As Cheap as Our Peers report, and state-specific permitting reports for Colorado, Arizona, Maryland, and Virginia) that support state-level permitting and interconnection reform.
Is Permit Power a public or private company?
Permit Power is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Permit Power founded?
Permit Power was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Permit Power make money?
One revenue line is on record: nonprofit operations (funding model not disclosed).
Who are Permit Power's main competitors?
SolarAPP Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Sierra Club, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Center for American Progress and National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Direct peers are Rewiring America, Environment America Research & Policy Center and Vote Solar. Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association (CHESSA) is listed as a regional player.
Does Permit Power have an API?
No public API is recorded for Permit Power.
What industry is Permit Power in?
Permit Power's product category is Clean Energy Policy Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIANAF, Building Codes, Permitting & Inspections (Building Safety), with a secondary code of EUAHABAH, Facility Siting, Permitting & Land-Use Regulatory Compliance (Multi-media Permitting, Zoning/Entitlements Support). Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 1731.