Community Energy Cooperative Canada

What Community Energy Cooperative Canada does

Community Energy Cooperative Canada (CECC) is a federally active, non-profit cooperative federation established in May 2023 following the "Scaling up the Impact of Renewable Energy Co-operatives in Canada" summit in Ottawa. The organization functions as the national representative body for Canada's renewable energy cooperative sector, with a membership comprising founding cooperatives such as SES Solar Cooperative, Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative, Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative, SolarShare, and ZooShare. CECC operates on a member-based cooperative governance model with an entirely remote working structure and a volunteer executive board (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary) plus members-at-large drawn from across Canadian provinces.

CECC's product surface is service-oriented rather than technology-based: the principal offering is the Annual Community Energy Forum, complemented by a recurring webinar series, policy research (notably an international scan of community and co-operative energy ownership co-published with Royal Roads University in early 2026), and advocacy work targeting federal and provincial energy policy frameworks. The organization does not develop proprietary technology, software, or AI/ML products. Strategic academic and sector partnerships — with NorQuest College, Royal Roads University, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, ACET, First Nations Power Authority, Community Energy Association, and Memorial University — anchor research, event hosting, and Indigenous energy engagement activities.

Revenue is generated through member dues from individual and organizational members, supplemented by project-based funding including a grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Low Carbon Economy Fund Implementation Readiness stream supporting the Renewable Energy Cooperative Enhancement Initiative (RECEI). The go-to-market approach is community-led: member recruitment, annual in-person and hybrid convenings, webinars, and earned media (including CBC News coverage and academic publications). CECC is currently hiring its first formal paid staff role, a part-time Community Energy Engagement Coordinator, indicating a transition from purely volunteer governance toward a small operational team.

Name

Community Energy Cooperative Canada

Legal name

Community Energy Cooperative Canada

Website

https://cecooperative.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Energy Cooperative Canada (CECC) is a federally active non-profit cooperative federation, founded in May 2023, that represents and supports Canada's renewable energy cooperatives through membership, an annual forum, research, policy advocacy, and partnerships with academia and Indigenous energy organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Cooperative Federation

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUADABAC

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Electric Transmission & Distribution (T&D)/Distribution System Operators (DSOs) & Electric Distribution Utilities

SECONDARYEUAMAJAD

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro & Geothermal)/Distributed Energy Resources & Community Renewables (Community Solar, Microgrids)

SECONDARYEUACAFAD

Community & Distributed Wind Power Generation (Behind-the-Meter/Small Wind)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Electric Power Generation/Wind Power Generation (Onshore & Offshore)

Keywords

• Renewable energy cooperatives
• Community energy advocacy
• Cooperative federation
• Energy policy research
• Community-owned energy

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Memberships: CECC generates revenue through member fees from renewable energy cooperatives and individuals who join as members. The cooperative model relies on democratic member control and contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Energy Cooperative Canada operates as a national federation supporting renewable energy cooperatives in Canada. Its core offerings include the annual Community Energy Forum, webinars and workshops on cooperative energy topics, policy advocacy, research publications, and member network coordination. Members include individual renewable energy cooperatives that participate in governance and benefit from shared resources.

Product overview

Community Energy Cooperative Canada (CECC) is a national federation for community energy cooperatives in Canada, not a commercial product company. Its primary offerings include the annual Community Energy Forum (a national conference connecting renewable energy cooperatives), knowledge sharing through webinars and workshops, research and policy advocacy for community-owned renewable energy, and coordination among member cooperatives across Canada. The organization was established in May 2023 following a summit in Ottawa and works to scale up community ownership and governance of energy through cooperatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Community Energy Forum Annual national gathering bringing together Canada's community energy movement, including renewable energy cooperatives, researchers, policymakers, Indigenous leaders, and community advocates to share knowledge and advance community-owned energy systems. The 2025 Forum was held at Royal Roads University in Victoria and the 4th Annual Forum is scheduled for October 8-9, 2026 at Concordia University, Montréal.
• Membership Program Open membership program for individuals and renewable energy cooperatives that join CECC, participate in democratic governance, receive resources, and engage in network activities. Members include founding cooperatives such as SES Solar Co-operative, Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative, Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative, SolarShare, and ZooShare.
• Webinars and Virtual Events Regular webinar series covering topics including governance benchmarking, international community energy best practices, prefigurative journalism in renewable energy culture, and energy policy. Includes co-hosted events such as 'From Ideas to Impact: Prairie Community Solar' with the Community Energy Association.
• Research Publications and Policy Reports Academic research outputs including the 'International scan of community and co-operative energy ownership' report produced in collaboration with Royal Roads University and project partners. Reports are published through academic journals and CECC's website.
• Renewable Energy Cooperative Enhancement Initiative (RECEI) Program funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada's Low Carbon Economy Fund Implementation Readiness stream that supports CECC's operations, initiatives, and capacity-building for renewable energy cooperatives across Canada.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62 participants at 2025 Forum representing Canada's community energy movement

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NorQuest CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorQuest College is a key academic partner, home to Dr. Martin Boucher (CECC President) as Research Chair in Sustainability and leader of the Community Energy Innovation Centre (CEIC). The partnership supports research collaboration and workforce development in community energy.
• Royal Roads UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Roads University hosted the 2025 Community Energy Forum and collaborated on the international scan of community and co-operative energy ownership report. A key academic partner for research and event hosting.
• Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCSC at the University of Saskatchewan is a co-host of CECC events including the Powering Change forum in October 2025. Dr. Marc-André Pigeon serves as Director of CCSC.
• Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACET is a key research and collaboration partner working on accelerating community-led energy systems transformation in Canada.
• Environment and Climate Change CanadacoreOthersFunded CECC through the Low Carbon Economy Fund Implementation Readiness stream. This government funding supports CECC's operations, initiatives, and events including the Renewable Energy Cooperative Enhancement Initiative (RECEI).
• First Nations Power AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Nations Power Authority, led by CEO Guy Lonechild, participated as a panelist at CECC's Powering Change event. Focuses on Indigenous energy transformation pathways and First Nations participation in the electricity sector.
• Community Energy Association (CEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCECC and CEA co-hosted the 'From Ideas to Impact: Prairie Community Solar' event, collaborating on research insights and practical pathways for Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Oil to Equitable Energy Collaboration (Memorial University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research collaboration with Memorial University on energy transition topics; Angela Antle (PhD candidate) presented CECC webinars on prefigurative journalism in Canada's renewable energy culture.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Community Energy Association: A Canadian organization focused on community energy that co-hosted events with CECC (e.g., 'From Ideas to Impact: Prairie Community Solar'). Operates an almost identical mission—supporting community energy initiatives—making it the closest direct peer in Canada.
• Rescoop.eu: European federation of renewable energy cooperatives representing over 1,500 energy cooperatives across the EU. Closest international peer in terms of federation-of-RECs model and serves as a structural analogue CECC has explicitly studied via its international scan.
• Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative (OREC): Member cooperative of CECC with board representation through Vice President Dennis O'Farrell. Functions as a regional community-owned solar cooperative analogous to SES Solar and BVGEC.
• SolarShare: One of Canada's largest renewable energy cooperatives and a CECC member; directly comparable as a community-owned solar cooperative, though SolarShare is an operating generation entity rather than a federation.
• Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC): University of Saskatchewan-based research center studying the cooperative sector, including energy co-ops. Has co-hosted CECC's Powering Change forum and represents both a research and sector-advocacy overlap.

Regional players

• Community Energy Scotland: Scottish national body supporting community energy projects, similar scope to CECC but UK-jurisdiction. Frequently cited alongside CECC in international community-energy comparisons.
• Energy Cities: European network of local authorities driving the energy transition. Comparable as a federation-style advocacy body, but focused on municipal governments rather than cooperatives and operating in the EU context.
• Community Energy England: UK-based trade body for community energy organizations. Highly comparable federation model but operates in the UK regulatory and policy context rather than Canadian.

Broad incumbents

• Pembina Institute: Canada's largest clean energy think tank and policy advocate. Operates at broader scale across all clean-energy themes, but overlaps with CECC on energy-policy advocacy and Indigenous energy transition work.
• Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada: Canada's national apex association for co-operatives and mutuals across all sectors (financial, retail, housing, energy). Broader incumbent cooperative umbrella in which renewable energy cooperatives are a sub-segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CommunityEnergyCoopCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-energy-cooperative-canada/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/cecooperative.ca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Community Energy Cooperative Canada