ACORE Wins DOE’s Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) as a winner of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, a “first-of-its-kind competition designed to support entrepreneurship and innovation in communities historically underserved in federal climate and energy technology funding.”

The prize money will be used to enhance ACORE’s Accelerate Membership Program, which was launched in December 2020 to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within the renewable energy sector. The ACORE program helps advance small, emerging renewable energy companies owned and/or operated by leaders who identify as women, Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic or Native American. Participating companies receive a complimentary two-year membership, an education stipend, dedicated staff, free access to ACORE paid events, targeted industry briefings, pro-bono legal and advisory services, and exclusive networking opportunities, among other benefits.

“ACORE’s Accelerate members deliver transformational technical, socioeconomic, and restorative justice advancements that our sector and country need the most,” said ACORE Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs Constance Thompson. “This prize will enable us to increase our support of these trailblazing companies, helping them successfully scale through enhanced programming and a demonstrated commitment to ensuring a just and equitable transition to a renewable energy economy that better reflects the diversity of our society.”

“Equitable representation is important to us at ACORE and is central to increasing the availability of affordable, pollution-free renewable energy to American communities,” said ACORE President and CEO Gregory Wetstone. “We have made a lot of progress in a relatively short time through ACORE’s Accelerate Membership Program, but we recognize that we still have a long way to go. The Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize will help us leverage greater impacts nationwide.”

To learn more about the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, click here. To learn more about ACORE’s Accelerate Membership Program, click here.

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About ACORE:
For more than 20 years, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been the nation’s premier pan-renewable nonprofit organization. ACORE unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. For more information, please visit www.acore.org.

Media Contact:

Alex Hobson
Vice President of Communications
American Council on Renewable Energy
hobson@acore.org | 202.777.7584 (o) | 202.594.0706 (c)