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| Midwest Climate and Energy Project | |
|---|---|
| Name | Midwest Climate and Energy Project |
| Formation | 2000 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| Region served | Midwestern United States |
| Focus | Climate change, energy policy, community engagement |
Midwest Climate and Energy Project is a nonprofit organization based in the Midwestern United States focused on clean energy transition, climate resilience, and community engagement. It works with state and local entities across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas to advance renewable energy deployment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote environmental justice. The organization engages stakeholders including utilities, labor unions, tribal governments, environmental groups, foundations, and municipal governments to influence policy and invest in clean energy projects.
Founded to address regional impacts of climate change and energy transition, the organization operates at the intersection of public policy, community organizing, and technical assistance. It routinely interfaces with state legislatures such as the Illinois General Assembly, Indiana General Assembly, Ohio General Assembly, Michigan Legislature, Wisconsin Legislature, Minnesota Legislature, Iowa General Assembly, Missouri General Assembly, and Kansas Legislature and engages federal entities including the United States Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Its efforts connect with municipal actors like the Chicago City Council, Cleveland City Council, Detroit City Council, Milwaukee Common Council, and regional authorities such as the Metropolitan Council (Minnesota) and Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.
The group's formation followed regional dialogues influenced by events and organizations such as the Kyoto Protocol, the Sustainable Development Commission, and conferences like the Midwest Renewable Energy Association annual gatherings. Early campaigns paralleled initiatives from groups including Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, Environmental Defense Fund, and The Nature Conservancy. Over time it coordinated with labor organizations such as the AFL–CIO, United Steelworkers, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to pursue just transition frameworks similar to programs advanced by the BlueGreen Alliance and modeled after federal proposals like the Green New Deal conversation. The organization responded to regional crises linked to events such as the Great Flood of 1993, the Minneapolis I-35W bridge collapse, and heat waves affecting cities like Chicago and St. Louis.
Programs include technical assistance for municipal solar projects, workforce training pipelines, utility rate advocacy, and community resilience planning. Project portfolios have drawn comparisons to initiatives by Solar Energy Industries Association, American Council on Renewable Energy, Rocky Mountain Institute, GRID Alternatives, and Vote Solar. Workforce efforts have partnered with training providers such as Community College System of Illinois, Cuyahoga Community College, and Oakland Community College (Michigan), while grantmaking and philanthropic engagement have interacted with foundations like the MacArthur Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and Energy Foundation. Pilot programs have been implemented in municipalities including Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Madison, Wisconsin, and in tribal communities such as the Ojibwe and Menominee nations.
The organization has advocated for legislative and regulatory changes at state public utility commissions including the Illinois Commerce Commission, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and Michigan Public Service Commission. It has submitted comments on regional transmission matters through the Midcontinent Independent System Operator and engaged in regional planning with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. Policy wins have included contributions to renewable portfolio standard discussions similar to laws like the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard and energy efficiency programs referenced alongside the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It has presented research to institutions such as the Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, Harvard Kennedy School, and Brookings Mountain West.
Governance typically involves a board of directors with backgrounds from academia, nonprofit management, philanthropy, labor, and energy sectors; comparable board compositions exist at organizations like World Resources Institute, Center for American Progress, and Resources for the Future. Funding sources include foundation grants, program-related investments, individual donors, and government contracts with agencies like the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. Financial oversight practices align with standards used by Independent Sector, Council on Foundations, and reporting frameworks observed by Guidestar and Charity Navigator.
The organization collaborates with environmental groups, academic institutions, municipal utilities, and national networks. Academic partners have included University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Michigan, Ohio State University, University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Michigan State University. Collaborations extend to regional nonprofits such as Illinois Environmental Council, Ohio Environmental Council, Clean Energy Trust, Midwest Energy Research Consortium, and national partners like Climate Reality Project, 350.org, Trust for Public Land, and Conservation Law Foundation. It has worked with utilities including Commonwealth Edison, Duke Energy, Consumers Energy, Xcel Energy, and Ameren Corporation on pilot programs.
Critiques of the organization mirror debates facing regional clean energy advocates: tensions between renewable deployment and grid reliability raised by stakeholders such as American Petroleum Institute and Association of Edison Illuminating Companies; disputes over siting and transmission resembling controversies involving Mountain Valley Pipeline and Keystone XL pipeline; and concerns about labor standards and project labor agreements voiced by groups like National Right to Work Committee and local contractors. The organization has faced scrutiny over funding ties when partnering with corporate foundations and utilities, a scrutiny similar to controversies encountered by Environmental Defense Fund and World Wildlife Fund in corporate-funded initiatives. Legal and regulatory challenges have occasionally involved filings before bodies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state courts.
Category:Environmental organizations based in the United States Category:Climate change organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in Illinois