Clean Energy Leadership Institute

The Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) is a people accelerator for the clean energy economy. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, our vision is to create a diverse community of change-makers across a vast array of sectors and disciplines who, together, will drive an equitable, decarbonized, and resilient clean energy future. Through our educational programs in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Bay Area, and Chicago, CELI provides emerging leaders with an interdisciplinary perspective and a technical understanding of the clean energy ecosystem. Since 2013, CELI has trained over 600 emerging leaders across 350+ organizations through our signature Fellowship program and an additional 5,000 students and professionals through our clean energy educational and community programming. CELI’s day-to-day operations are currently run by three full time staff and approximately 35 passionate volunteer leaders.

We train and engage individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, equipping them with adaptive leadership skills, bringing them together through events like our annual emPOWER conference, and supporting their path to formal positions of leadership. CELI is deeply committed to increasing the ethnic and gender diversity in the clean energy industry. We serve three distinct segments of the clean energy workforce: early-career clean energy professionals, mid-career transitioning professionals, and college students. 

Early-Career Professionals - The CELI Fellowship

CELI is best known for its location-based Fellowship, a five-month program designed to recruit, train, and empower early-career professionals for impactful careers in clean energy. Through cohorts of 35 Fellows per city (over 100 Fellows annually), the program acts as an accelerator by providing participants with broad exposure and education across the clean energy economy, leadership and professional development training, and an extended network of alumni and clean energy executives. 

Early to Mid-Career Transitioning Professionals

CELI provides professionals transitioning into the clean energy industry with energy education webinars, career pathways seminars, and extensive networking and community engagement events. Each session is designed to educate and connect skilled professionals with clean energy opportunities. 

College Students

Through training courses like CELI’s Clean Energy 101 Series and Career Pathways Events, we are reaching a new generation of diverse energy leaders to provide the context, scope, and diversity of career options that exist in the clean energy ecosystem. CELI has developed formal partnerships and engagements with ten universities in our existing cities, and has engaged students from over 50 additional colleges and universities across the country.