The Energy Professionals Association

What The Energy Professionals Association does

The Energy Professionals Association (TEPA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional membership association founded in 2005 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The organization serves the US retail energy industry, representing independent energy Aggregators, Brokers and Consultants (ABCs), retail electricity providers (REPs)/suppliers, and affiliate companies operating in competitive, deregulated markets across ERCOT, PJM, NYISO, ISO-NE, MISO, and CAISO. According to TEPA, its members account for more than 80% of all retail energy transactions nationwide and approximately 72% of C&I ABC sales in Texas, positioning the association as the de facto self-regulating body for the channel.

TEPA's core offerings are organized around four pillars: (1) the Energy Management Professional (EMP) certification program, which validates practitioner competency across natural gas, renewable energy, demand response, and lighting retrofits; (2) the annual National Conference and a rotating schedule of regional meetings in Chicago, New York City, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Ohio, and Boston; (3) The Morning Plug, a monthly virtual news show broadcast on Zoom; and (4) the annual TEPA Awards Program recognizing ABC, Supplier, and Affiliate of the Year. Supporting infrastructure includes a WordPress-based website, LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram/Twitter channels, weekly email newsletters, and calendar integrations with Google, iCalendar, and Outlook.

The business model is membership-dues-driven, supplemented by certification fees and event registrations. Pricing tiers and dues amounts are not publicly disclosed. Geographic expansion has been executed through regional chapters (Northeast in 2013) and acquisitions/mergers with state-level associations (Illinois Professionals Association merged in 2018, Energy Professionals of Ohio acquired in 2022). Leadership consists of Executive Director Shannon McGriff and a volunteer national board; Greg Bechert was named incoming 2026 Board President at the November 2025 20th Anniversary National Conference in Austin. The organization operates with a lean staff of approximately 9 employees.

Name

The Energy Professionals Association

Legal name

The Energy Professionals Association

Website

https://tepausa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Energy Professionals Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership association serving US retail energy Aggregators, Brokers, Consultants, Suppliers, and Affiliates across ERCOT, PJM, MISO, NYISO, and CAISO markets, offering EMP certification, conferences, advocacy, and self-regulatory standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Community PPAs (Community Solar/Shared Renewables) (EUAGADAC)

Keywords

• Professional association membership
• Energy market advocacy
• Competitive retail energy
• Energy professional certification
• Industry networking events

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 Dues: TEPA operates as a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership-based association. Membership dues provide the primary revenue stream, with members including independent energy aggregators, brokers and consultants (ABCs), energy suppliers, and other energy-related entities.
2. Certification Program: The EMP (Energy Management Professional) certification program provides professional credentials to members, supporting professional development and market differentiation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Energy Professionals Association (TEPA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership association that advances competitive retail energy markets across the United States. It delivers this through annual membership dues, an Energy Management Professional (EMP) certification program, an annual National Conference, monthly regional events in major U.S. cities, a monthly virtual news series (The Morning Plug), industry advocacy, and an annual awards program. Members include independent energy aggregators, brokers and consultants (ABCs), retail electricity providers (REPs), and affiliate companies.

Product overview

The Energy Professionals Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership-based professional association rather than a technology product company. TEPA offers a unified portfolio of member services centered on advancing competitive energy markets across the United States. The core offerings include the EMP (Energy Management Professional) Certification program, annual National Conference, monthly regional events, The Morning Plug virtual news show, and the TEPA Awards Program. These services are interconnected—certification provides professional credentials, events facilitate networking and education, advocacy shapes market policy, and awards recognize industry excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy Management Professional (EMP) Certification Professional certification program validating energy professionals' understanding of retail energy market complexities, covering natural gas, renewable energy, demand response, and lighting retrofits. Available to TEPA members and the broader energy professional community.
• National Conference Annual 3-day conference bringing together competitive retail energy industry speakers, thought leaders, and members for networking, education, and industry events (golf, wine tasting). The 20th Anniversary edition was held November 3-5, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
• The Morning Plug Virtual monthly energy news show hosted by Shannon McGriff and Young, featuring top energy stories and news headlines, broadcast live the last Wednesday of each month on Zoom.
• Regional Events Monthly in-person regional meetings held in destination cities across the country (Chicago, New York City, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Ohio, Boston), featuring industry authorities and thought leaders. Open to non-TEPA members as well.
• TEPA Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing TEPA member excellence across three categories: ABC of the Year (Aggregators, Brokers, Consultants), Supplier of the Year (retail energy providers), and Affiliate of the Year (product/service companies supporting energy procurement).
• TEPA Membership Annual membership in TEPA's 501(c)(6) non-profit association, available to aggregators/brokers/consultants (ABCs), energy suppliers/REPs, and affiliate companies. Includes access to events, networking, advocacy, Code of Conduct, and the EMP certification pathway.

Quantifiable outcome

• TEPA members manage more than 80% of all retail energy transactions nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• Novo Energy ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 December 2022CSD Energy Advisors (led by TEPA President Andrew Barth) acquired New York-based Novo Energy Services in December 2022. Novo provides energy consulting and advisory services and manages 1,400,000 MWh of electricity and 1,000,000,000 dekatherms of natural gas. This is an acquisition by a TEPA member company.
• Energy Professionals of Ohio (EPO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2022TEPA announced the acquisition/merger of Energy Professionals of Ohio (EPO) in December 2022. EPO had been active since 2008 supporting Ohio's competitive energy market following Senate Bill 221. This acquisition expanded TEPA's presence in Ohio and gave EPO members access to TEPA's national resources. Greg Bechert, EPO Board Member, represented EPO in the announcement.
• Illinois Professionals Association (ILEPA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2018TEPA and ILEPA merged in January 2018, with ILEPA becoming the Illinois Chapter of TEPA. David C. Wiers continued as president of the Illinois Chapter and voting at-large member of the national TEPA board. This was TEPA's second major expansion following the Northeast Chapter in 2013.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Public Gas Association (APGA): APGA is the national association for publicly and community-owned natural gas utilities. It represents the supply side of a market that TEPA's ABC members broker in, with overlapping interest in competitive natural gas procurement.
• Advanced Energy Economy (AEE): AEE is a national business association promoting advanced energy (renewables, efficiency, storage, demand response) markets and policy. It overlaps with TEPA on the energy procurement and demand-response side of the EMP certification curriculum.
• Edison Electric Institute (EEI): EEI is the national trade association representing U.S. investor-owned electric utilities. While its members include retail energy suppliers (e.g., Constellation), EEI primarily represents regulated utilities rather than the competitive broker/consultant channel TEPA serves.

Emerging players

• American Clean Power Association (ACP): ACP represents the wind, solar, storage, and transmission industries. It is adjacent to TEPA in that TEPA's EMP certification and supplier members increasingly transact in renewable PPAs that ACP champions at the federal level.
• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): SEIA is the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry. It overlaps with TEPA where solar PPAs and community solar procurement intersect with the broker channel that TEPA's ABC members operate in.

Others

• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC): NARUC represents state public utility commissioners who regulate the markets in which TEPA's members operate. TEPA regularly engages NARUC members through PUCT-style advocacy, making it a key counterparty rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA): RESA is a national trade association representing retail electricity and natural gas suppliers in competitive U.S. markets. It is TEPA's most direct peer, with overlapping membership in retail energy suppliers and shared advocacy for competitive markets.
• National Energy Marketers Association (NEM): NEM is a national trade association representing wholesale and retail marketers of energy and energy-related products and services. It overlaps with TEPA in advocating for competitive retail energy markets and counts brokers, consultants, and suppliers among its constituency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_tepa
• Facebookfacebook.com/TEPA.USA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-energy-professionals-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/tepausa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 The Energy Professionals Association