Overview
For over 20 years, ACORE has been the nation’s leading voice on the issues most essential to clean energy expansion. ACORE unites finance, policy, and technology to support balanced policy that enables affordable, reliable, and clean energy.
Representing the entire transaction space, including investors, developers, manufacturers, utilities, corporate buyers of clean power, and professional services firms, ACORE members play a critical role in advancing our mission.
Learn more about ACORE’s membership by exploring our member directory.
2024 Highlights
Data-Driven Analysis
ACORE’s team produced over 40 publications in the form of reports, white papers, studies, testimony, and letters over the past year, which dive into topics related to our four policy focus areas: Trade and Supply Chains, Finance and Tax, Transmission and Markets, and Corporate Sustainability.
Membership Structure Evolution
In June, ACORE implemented a new membership structure that streamlined ACORE membership into three levels: (1) Executive Council, (2) Advisory Council, and (3) Leadership Council, with the Executive Council representing the top tier and “all-inclusive” level, and the Advisory Council reflecting our four policy focus areas.
ACORE Power Perspectives
At the 2024 ACORE Grid Forum, we launched a new video interview series, ACORE Power Perspectives, which highlights high-level and impactful leaders influencing the energy space to explore their unique perspectives.
Letter from the President
2024 was an extraordinary year of growth for the clean energy industry and our organization. The deployment of clean energy projects reached new heights last year, driven by unprecedented private investment. We also welcomed a new administration into the White House, and the work that ACORE has done over the past year as a bipartisan purveyor of credible research and information positions us well to continue our engagement on the issues most critical to the continuing development of American energy infrastructure.
As you’ll see across this report, through industry-leading initiatives and analysis, impactful advocacy, and strategic, well-timed communications, ACORE made significant headway on some of the energy sector’s top priorities in 2024. We also accomplished key organizational goals—releasing a record number of new publications related to our four policy focus areas, implementing a streamlined new membership structure, and producing compelling content in the form of dozens of new videos, quality media coverage and editorials, and much more.
I am grateful to continue advancing this strong work in 2025 alongside the ACORE team, Board of Directors, and our members. I want to offer my particular gratitude to all of the leading organizations who dove in to join ACORE’s new Executive Council which was launched as part of our membership restructure in 2024. My appreciation also extends to Arnold Ventures, Breakthrough Energy, the Clean Grid Initiative, and our other foundation partners. This success would not have been possible without their generous support.
All of these organizations collectively are investing in American energy infrastructure, putting steel in the ground through project development, manufacturing the technologies that are helping to drive down energy costs and making our electric system reliable and resilient, cleaning our environment, and strengthening American competitiveness. We are creating jobs and doing our part to grow the economy. These are all outcomes that Americans champion regardless of political affiliation. And, there’s still much more to do.
Thank you for taking a look at this report. We look forward to working with you.
Onward.
Ray Long
President and CEO
American Council on Renewable Energy
Data-Driven Analysis and Engagement
In 2024, we leaned into ACORE’s strength of creating data-driven and reliable information producing over 40 documents, launching campaigns on priority issues, working collaboratively with energy trade organizations, and evolving our platform to focus on four, key policy areas: Trade and Supply Chains, Finance and Tax, Transmission and Markets, and Corporate Sustainability. We had major successes with policy issues including Basel III, Treasury guidance on Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provisions, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)’s Transmission Planning Order 1920. Additionally, we made significant progress with ongoing issues including permitting reform, trade issues including the AD/CVD proceeding at the Department of Commerce, and increased funding for federal agencies engaged in clean energy deployment. The following sections provide additional detail on this 2024 work.
Permitting
- Developed and circulated white papers, and hill fact sheets on the benefits of permitting reform, Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 provisions that benefit clean energy and transmission, and priorities for judicial review reforms.
- Led coordinative efforts with clean energy, labor, environmental, and other organizations to align, target, and advance educational materials and messaging on permitting reform with key policymakers.
- Gave remarks at a member-level Congressional briefing on permitting reform hosted by the House Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus (CSC) and a member-level Congressional roundtable on permitting reform hosted by the House New Democrat Coalition (NDC).
Appropriations
- Led a joint industry letter outlining appropriations requests for transmission funding with 40+ organizational signatures.
- Developed fact sheets on the state-level benefits of federal clean energy programs.
- Supported congressional sign-on letters urging robust funding for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO), which received the highest number of total Republican signatures in a fiscal year since GDO was established, helping to maintain GDO at prior year funding levels in bills approved by both chambers despite cuts to other key programs.
Basel III
- Advanced ACORE materials on tax equity and our Basel III comment letter in multiple meetings with the prudential regulators (Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC), Treasury, the White House, and Congressional offices.
- Led coordinative efforts with other trades to align on messaging and analysis presented to policymakers on Basel III.
- Secured verbal commitments from leadership at the prudential regulators in early 2024 to address the clean energy risk weight in the final rule, which allowed tax equity investment to continue moving this year. In September, the Federal Reserve discussed its plans to maintain a 100% risk weight for clean energy tax equity, allowing investments to return to business-as-usual.
Tax Policy
- Held briefings with senior Treasury officials, the DOE Office of Policy, and other regulators to discuss priorities for IRA tax credit implementation.
- Filed comment letters on Sections 48, 45V, 45Y/48E, 45X, and Domestic Content guidance. Previous ACORE comments were reflected in final guidance on Section 48, prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements and transferability, and advanced manufacturing, and in additional guidance on Domestic Content.
- Worked with regional allies in California (a state that does not have rolling conformity with federal tax law) to educate policymakers about the importance for the tax-exempt status for transferability and direct pay. Signed onto three letters and published a fact sheet about the risks of taxing these investments, i.e., lost revenue and benefits for the state.
Transmission & Markets
- ACORE cited in landmark FERC Order 1920 – over a dozen times in the text and over 100 times in the footnotes.
- Met with FERC Commissioners Christie and Chang, and hosted Commissioner Rosner at the Grid Forum.
- Held member calls with DOE, GDO, NERC, PJM, MISO, and CAISO on transmission and markets issues.
- Published a white paper on PJM interconnection issues for energy storage, which led to PJM filing to adopt our recommendations.
- Provided fact sheets and suggested questions for House and Senate hearings on electricity demand growth and the importance of transmission and clean energy.
- Filed comments on all major FERC rulemakings and technical conferences pertaining to transmission and market issues.
Trade
- Published primer on U.S. trade restrictions applied to clean energy technology sector to date.
- Released report with Clean Energy Associates on potential impacts of 2024 AD/CVD case on U.S. clean energy deployment and manufacturing.
- Filed comments with Office of U.S. Trade Representative regarding sustainable supply chains and foreign trade barriers.
- Spoke at Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) training for U.S. government trade officials.
Corporate Sustainability
- Met with key decision makers at international sustainability standard setters to inform guidance updates affecting clean energy use and investment, including the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, International Sustainability Standards Board, RE100, and others.
- Published materials on the value of RECs and vPPAs for project finance.
- Spoke at Climate Week and Renewable Energy Markets on sustainability issues and participated in industry Working Groups on Scope 2 and CBAM proposals.
Key Initiatives
ACORE Accelerate: Driving Clean Small Business Growth
Now in its fifth year, ACORE Accelerate is an award-winning, industry-leading initiative designed to accelerate the growth of small and mid-sized clean energy companies. Through technical assistance, executive mentoring, and curated networking opportunities, the program has empowered 40+ member and alumni companies to incubate deals, access expert guidance, and expand their businesses.
ACORE Accelerate expanded my professional network and raised my profile with state, local, and national clean energy leaders.
ACORE Accelerate Member
What began as an initiative led by larger ACORE members to increase the participation of smaller clean energy companies in the marketplace has evolved into a thriving ecosystem of 100+ organizations, fostering deep industry engagement and collaboration.
Proven Impact in 2024
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92 % of ACORE Accelerate members conduct business within the ACORE network.
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84 % of ACORE Accelerate members cite the program as key to their company’s growth.
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83 % of ACORE Accelerate members are developing clean energy solutions in partnership with local communities.
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67 % of ACORE Accelerate members have developed potential deals through the ACORE network.
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45 % of ACORE Accelerate members have grown their revenue since joining the program.
Through ACORE Accelerate, I’ve gained development partners who directly contributed to new revenue and opportunities.
ACORE Accelerate Member
As we celebrate five years of impact, ACORE Accelerate will welcome 15 new companies into the program network, expanding opportunities for innovative clean energy businesses. In the year ahead, we will continue to showcase the transformational industry impacts made by our member companies and the role ACORE Accelerate plays in enabling their success.
Macro Grid Initiative
Now in its fifth year, ACORE’s Macro Grid Initiative (MGI) has helped change the national narrative on the importance of transmission for enabling economic growth and low-cost electricity, while also advancing transmission planning reforms. Working with national and regional partners, MGI has also helped accelerate the deployment of advanced transmission technologies to maximize the use of the existing grid footprint.
MGI assisted in enabling the largest transmission expansions to boost clean energy in U.S. history, including two tranches of lines in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market and a record-setting expansion in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP).
Proven Impact in 2024
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100 + 100+ citations to ACORE comments and content in FERC’s final regional transmission planning rule.
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15 15 pro-transmission speakers placed at 10 events.
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13 13 op-eds placed in target outlets, working with prominent authors.
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7 7 webinars on transmission policy developments and effective pro-transmission advocacy.
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5 5 groundbreaking new research reports.
Enabling a National Network of Transmission Advocates
MGI supported transmission expansions and upgrades in six regions, working in partnership with regional clean energy organizations to host events, support communications efforts, and provide connections to federal advocacy opportunities. MGI also partnered with the Energy Systems Integration Group, Clean Grid Alliance, and RENEW Northeast to host three regional in-person workshops on the operational and market benefits of HVDC transmission. At the federal level, MGI worked with ally groups to host a virtual Congressional briefing for bipartisan House staff from the Energy and Commerce and Select CCP committees to provide expert insights on how HVDC can benefit the U.S. in strategic competition with China by helping meet demand growth from artificial intelligence.
Accelerating the Deployment of Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs), High-Performance Conductors (HPCs), and Offshore Transmission
In 2024, MGI launched new campaigns in partnership with the Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies Coalition and Advancing Modern Power Lines Coalition to support the near-term deployment of GETs and HPCs, developing fact sheets on their benefits and promoting federal and state venues. MGI also expanded education and outreach efforts to support the development of an offshore transmission grid through engagement with the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission. In July, the Northeast States Collaborative signed a first-of-its kind Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate enhanced interregional transmission planning and development, tracking closely with an ACORE-lead joint letter. MGI is also continuing to build momentum toward the first multi-state offshore transmission procurement working with The Brattle Group, and regional partners MAREC Action and ACE-NY. Our report, which provides a roadmap for multi-state coordination, debuted at the 2024 Grid Forum and has attracted significant interest from state officials in MD, DE, NJ, and PA.
American Clean Energy: It’s Here.
From sea to shining sea, clean energy is powering America. ACORE created a webpage titled “The Latest Statistics & Trends on U.S. Clean Energy,” which provides key information and research on clean energy in the U.S., offering insights into the rapid growth of technologies like wind, solar, storage, nuclear, geothermal, hydropower, and more. Whether you’re a policymaker, journalist, or just curious about America’s energy landscape, these statistics and trends will help you understand how the nation is embracing affordable, reliable, and clean energy.
Thought LeadershipThought Leadership and Strategic Communications
We provide policymakers, businesses, and the media with reliable, fact-based, and trustworthy information. ACORE was founded for this purpose back in 2001 and it continues in an expanded format today. We leverage our experienced team and member network to get out data and respond to inquiries with actionable information that helps to shape coverage and balance misinformation.
Narrative-Shaping Press Coverage
ACORE maintained its strong media presence in 2024, participating in dozens of press interviews that helped us receive 1,700 media mentions throughout the year, including 24 articles from top-tier news outlets like Reuters, CNBC, FOX, the Associated Press, and Bloomberg.
A major communications goal for ACORE in 2024 was to boost journalist attendance at our conferences and webinars. In 2024, ACORE recruited 184 reporter registrations to our 2024 events, with an average of 31 reporters registering for each event, which is 35% higher than our 2023 average.
The ACORE team has also appeared on several podcasts and broadcast shows in 2024, including BBC’s Talking Business, the inaugural episode of CIBC’s The Energy Shift, Dylan Green’s The Green Light, as well as Wood Mackenzie’s Interchange Recharged and The Energy Gang.
Finally, we created original content, including Forbes op-eds, a Utility Dive op-ed, and blog posts, all providing thought leadership on some of the energy sector’s most timely topics, including finance, policy, and regulatory issues.
2024 Opinion Placements
2024 Blog Posts
Renewable Energy Certificates: The Currency of the Clean Energy Market
Why Transmission Planning and Expansion are Necessary for our Economy
Chevron’s Last Dance: Views From Energy Sector Leaders on The Future of Regulatory Power in a New Legal Era
Americans Want Affordable, Reliable, Clean Energy: Ray Long’s Address at the 2024 ACORE Grid Forum
Speaking Engagements Across America
ACORE continued its thought leadership on behalf of the clean energy industry in 2024, participating in a variety of speaking engagements across the country where ACORE’s policy experts discussed many of the most critical issues for America’s energy future.
ACORE President and CEO, Ray Long, and Invenergy President and Co-Founder, Jim Murphy, speaking at the Reuters Energy Transition North America conference
ACORE’s Ray Long, Jeremy Horan, and Noah Strand speaking with Congressman Raul Ruiz (D-CA) on Capitol Hill
ACORE’s President and CEO, Ray Long, and EDP Renewables North Americas Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, Tom Starrs, speaking at an EDPR roundtable discussion
ACORE’s Elise Caplan and Constance Thompson speaking at NARUC’s Winter Policy Summit
ACORE’s Lesley Hunter speaking at the U.S. Renewable Energy Markets Conference
ACORE President and CEO Ray Long on BBC’s Talking Business program
Enhanced Digital Presence & Video Growth
Another major ACORE communications goal was to expand our digital media presence and develop more engaging video content.
ACORE added 9,214 new social media followers across our various profiles in 2024. With the support of a newsletter sign-up campaign launched at the beginning of the year, ACORE’s public newsletters gained 1,022 subscribers in 2024, increasing our audience size by nearly 16%.
ACORE released over a dozen new video resources in 2024, including the launch of our new interview series, ACORE Power Perspectives. Visit ACORE’s YouTube channel to see our full library of video content.
Must-Attend Events
Networking. Insight. Influence.
ACORE events connect attendees with up-to-the-minute information on the policies, financial trends, and grid issues most pertinent to the clean energy sector. Attendees share that they value the opportunity to network and engage with innovative leaders and decision makers at ACORE events.
The future of the clean energy industry takes shape at ACORE events.
Proven Impact in 2024
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350 Our 2024 events were attended by over 350 different companies and organizations in the industry.
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57 % Over 57% of our signature event attendees are at the Director Level and above.
ACORE 2024 Event Attendees by Sector
In 2024, ACORE’s flagship conferences reached their largest audiences in history and sold out our venues.
ACORE Awards Gala
On February 28, ACORE hosted its Annual Awards Gala, our premier networking celebration and dinner. With 32 sponsoring organizations and over 300 attendees, ACORE presented Clean Energy Champion awards to Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) in recognition of their leadership. We were also joined by House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
ACORE Policy Forum
On February 29, the 2024 ACORE Policy Forum in the nation’s capital was, once again, the preeminent gathering to discuss the opportunities and headwinds impacting the energy industry today including maintaining the progress and the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act. Keynote speakers included Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair Brenda Mallory from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and Director Liz Klein from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
ACORE Finance Forum
On June 4-5, ACORE hosted its 2024 Finance Forum. The conference featured a keynote interview with Gina McCarthy, the first White House National Climate Advisor and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, remarks from U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and an interview with David Crane, Under Secretary for Infrastructure at the U.S. Department of Energy.
ACORE Grid Forum
Overlooking the nation’s capital from Arlington, Virginia, ACORE convened leading grid experts on October 10 at the 2024 Grid Forum for discussions of the near-term gaps and long-term priorities for grid infrastructure to maximize the deployment of renewable energy. Whitney Muse from the White House Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation and FERC Commissioner David Rosner joined ACORE for keynote interviews.
Board of Directors
ACORE extends our appreciation to all the visionary clean energy leaders who served on our Board of Directors in 2024.
Kevin Gresham
SVP, Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs
RWE Clean Energy
Board Chair
Vikas Agrawal
Head of Alternative Energy Investing Group
Goldman Sachs
Adam Altenhofen
Senior Vice President, Environmental Finance Team, Impact Finance
U.S. Bancorp
Laura Beane
President, North America
Vestas Wind Systems
Mit Buchanan
Managing Director, Energy Investments
J.P. Morgan
Will Conkling
Head of Data Center Energy Supply, Americas and EMEA
Google
Mona Dajani
Partner – Global Co-Chair of the Energy, Infrastructure and Hydrogen Departments, Co-Chair of Energy Sector
Baker Botts
Will Demas
Senior Managing Director & Head of Americas, Green Investment Group
Macquarie Asset Management
Sandhya Ganapathy
CEO
EDP Renewables
James Giamarino
Chief Commercial Officer
Ørsted Americas
David Giordano
Managing Director, Global Head Climate Infrastructure
BlackRock
Kristal Hansley
CEO & Founder
WeSolar
Ja Kao
Founder
42 Renewables LLC
Vishal Kapadia
SVP, Energy Transformation,
Walmart
Shannon Kellogg
Vice President of AWS Public Policy – Americas
Amazon Web Services
Ray Long
President & CEO
American Council on Renewable Energy
Robin Millican
Head of Strategic Initiatives and Integration
Breakthrough Energy
Phil Musser
Vice President, Government Affairs
NextEra Energy
Jordan Newman
Managing Director, RE &Environment Finance
Wells Fargo
Urvi Parekh
Head of Renewable Energy
Meta
Gaurav Raniwala
Managing Director
GE Energy Financial Services
Patrick Reiten
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
Berkshire Hathaway Energy
Himanshu Saxena
Chairman & CEO
Lotus Infrastructure Partners
Meghan Schultz
Executive Vice President & CFO
Invenergy
Puneet Verma
VP Government Affairs
Avangrid
Christian Warren
CEO and Founder
Midflare Corporation
Raymond Wood
Managing Director, Head of Global Natural Resources
Bank of America
Acknowledgements
Philanthropic Support
As a 501(c)(3) organization, we rely on philanthropic support to help fund our programs. We are particularly grateful for generous contributions this year from the Clean Grid Initiative, Breakthrough Energy, Arnold Ventures, and our other foundation partners.
Executive Council
ACORE extends special appreciation to our Executive Council, a select group of leading companies from across the clean energy industry who have demonstrated their strong commitment to ACORE by supporting our programmatic priorities, activities, and events. The support and partnership from these companies plays a crucial role in advancing ACORE’s work.
Members
ACORE’s membership programs unite companies from clean energy space, including those who finance, invest in, build, manufacture, and buy clean energy projects. This broad and diverse group of stakeholders works with the team at ACORE to drive the clean energy revolution forward. To see who our members are and learn how to engage, visit our Membership page or contact Gabe Rosner at rosner@acore.org.
ACORE Staff
The ACORE team brings together decades of diverse experience in service of our organizational mission. Visit our Team page to learn more.
Join leaders from across the clean energy sector.
What will our next 20 years look like? Here’s the truth: they’ll be better with ACORE at the forefront of energy policy.
Shannon Kellogg
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
