News Story

June 26, 2024, Montpelier, VT – The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), a national nonprofit coalition of public agencies working together to advance clean energy, is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards. Since 2009, the biennial Leadership Awards have recognized outstanding state programs and projects that have accelerated the adoption of clean energy technologies. The four winners were chosen by an independent panel of distinguished judges and were evaluated based on leadership, innovation, cost-effectiveness, and replicability.

“The Clean Energy States Alliance was founded on the principle that states are the driving force behind this country’s clean energy transformation,” said CESA Executive Director Warren Leon. “CESA’s State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards recognize state innovation and accomplishments and share best practices so that creative programs in one state can spread to others.”

This year’s awards were presented in Chicago, IL on June 3 to the Connecticut Green Bank for its Green Liberty Notes Program. This program was developed following the Green Bank’s highly successful Green Liberty Bonds The Notes program provides small-dollar investors with the opportunity to support and benefit from clean energy development. It is the first one-year maturity designated green bond offered via a crowdfunding campaign, with an easy online process that doesn’t involve a broker. Investments start at $100 and are capped at $25,000, with priority given to smaller investments.

This innovation makes it possible for everyone, regardless of income, to invest in Connecticut’s clean energy transition. Like other savings instruments, such as certificates of deposit, a competitive market rate of interest is paid at maturity (the previous offering was between 5-5½ percent). To date, more than $2 million in investment has been raised through the notes to support energy efficiency retrofits for small businesses. According to the judges: “The Connecticut Green Bank’s Green Liberty Notes Program is innovative and opens the rewards of the clean energy economy to a new community, extending the benefits so everyone can participate. The threshold to entry is low and the return on investment is good. Other states could adopt this highly replicable and cost-effective program.”

The other three winners were the California Energy Commission (CEC), the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).

The five judges who donated their time to assess the programs nominated by state agencies across the country were Michael Brower, Clean Energy Venture Group; Greg Dierkers, U.S. Department of Energy; Deb Perry, International City/County Management Association (ICMA); Autumn Proudlove, North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center; and Joan White, Solar Energy Industries Association. While CESA appreciates the time and expertise provided by the judges to this process, the judges’ participation in no way implies their respective organizations’ endorsements of these programs.

In July, CESA will release a report on the State Leadership in Clean Energy Award (SLICE) winners that will highlight each of these programs with a case study. The report will be posted on CESA’s website at https://www.cesa.org/projects/state-leadership-in-clean-energy/2024-awards. This webpage will also contain information and registration links for a webinar series featuring the program managers of these exemplary programs. The webinars, which will take place in the summer and fall of 2024, will be free to attend and open to the public.

About the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) 
The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is a leading US coalition of state energy agencies working together to advance the rapid expansion of clean energy technologies and bring the benefits of clean energy to all. Established in 2002, CESA is a national, member-supported nonprofit that works to develop and implement effective clean energy policies and programs. CESA’s members include many of the nation’s most innovative, successful, and influential implementers of clean energy policies. CESA facilitates the expansion of state clean energy policies by championing renewable energy, pioneering energy storage solutions, promoting energy equity, and enhancing resilience. For more than two decades, CESA has played a pivotal role in transitioning the US towards accessible, sustainable, clean energy solutions. Learn more at www.cesa.org.