American Council on Renewable Energy explained

American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)
Type:	Nonprofit 501(c)3
Foundation:	2001
Location Country:	United States
Key People:	Greg Wetstone, president & CEO, board of directors

Founded in 2001, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is a member-based, 501(c)(3) national non-profit organization that unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy.^[1]

ACORE's membership spans renewable energy technologies and constituencies, including developers, manufacturers, financial institutions, corporate end-users, grid technology providers, utilities, professional service firms, universities and other non-profit groups.^[2] ACORE's work revolves around convening leaders across key constituencies, facilitating partnerships, educating federal and state legislators and agency officials on important policies, publishing research and analysis on pressing issues, and undertaking strategic outreach on the policies and financial structures essential to renewable energy growth.^[3]

Michael Eckhart founded the organization in 2001 to bring together leading proponents and innovators in all facets of the renewable energy sector for the purpose of moving renewable energy into the mainstream of America’s economy.^[4] In 2011, retired vice admiral Dennis V. McGinn was named president and CEO of ACORE. Under McGinn's leadership, ACORE's mission was updated to reflect the successes of the industry during ACORE's first decade. In July, 2013, McGinn was nominated by President Obama to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations & Environment).^[5] ACORE's board of directors tapped board member Michael Brower to fill in as interim president and CEO.^[6] In January, 2014, the board voted for Brower to serve as the organization's full-time president and CEO.^[7] Brower retired in December, 2014 ^[8] and Dan Reicher, chairman of the board of directors, served as interim president and CEO until Gregory Wetstone was named president and CEO in December 2015.^[9]

In January 2023, Wetstone announced he would be stepping down after more than 7 years of leadership.^{[10] [11]} In October 2023, ACORE’s board of directors selected Ray Long to serve as the organization’s new president and CEO.^{[12] [13]}

Programs

The Macro Grid Initiative^[14] is an ACORE program that promotes investment in a 21st century transmission network. The program was launched with funding from Breakthrough Energy, an organization founded by Bill Gates.^{[15] [16] [17]}

In 2020, ACORE created the Accelerate Membership Program^[18] to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the renewable energy sector and reduce barriers for participants from underrepresented communities.^[19] Accelerate member companies are small businesses focused on renewable energy and supportive technologies, owned and/or operated by leaders who identify as women, Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic, or Native American. The ACORE program was selected as a winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize in 2022.^[20]

ACORE has two executive programs:

• The Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance (PREF) is a coalition of senior-level officials with companies that finance, develop, manufacture, and use renewable energy. PREF members focus on increasing capital formation and investment in renewable energy and educating the public sector to ensure that policy impacts the market as efficiently and effectively as possible.^[21]
• The Partnership for Renewable Integration and Market Expansion (PRIME) is an invitation-only leadership program of prominent, multi-technology renewable energy companies, investors and corporate end-users that guide ACORE's strategic policy agenda.^[22]

Forums

ACORE organizes three major events each year, as well as an ongoing webinar series.^[23] These include:

• ACORE Policy Forum: The ACORE Policy Forum is a pan-technology renewable energy summit that unites senior leaders from across government and the renewable energy industry in Washington, D.C. It features discussions between industry leaders and key elected officials and offers perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the renewable energy industry.^[24]
• ACORE Finance Forum: The ACORE Finance Forum gathers senior investors, industry executives, and other top transactional professionals to assess the state of play for renewable energy finance and investment.^[25]
• ACORE Grid Forum: The ACORE Grid Forum convenes regulators, renewable energy, storage and transmission companies, and other leading grid experts to maximize the use and integration of renewable energy in our nation's power markets.^[26]

See also

• American Wind Energy Association
• Solar Energy Industries Association
• Energy conservation
• Energy Information Administration
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Renewable energy commercialization
• Wind power in the United States

References

1. Web site: About - American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE).
2. Web site: Our Members.
3. Web site: About - American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE).
4. Web site: 2015-09-03 . History - ACORE American Council On Renewable Energy . https://web.archive.org/web/20150903123825/http:/www.acore.org/about/history . dead . 2015-09-03 . 2023-11-10 .
5. Web site: Obama picks green advocate as Navy energy chief . . 2013-07-09 . 2014-03-26.
6. Web site: Moniz doesn't take position on nuke waste bill – Shaheen-Portman vote likely not until September - POLITICO Morning Energy . . 2013-08-06 . 2014-03-26.
7. Web site: ACORE Names Michael R. Brower Permanent CEO, President . 10 January 2014 . SolarIndustryMag.com . 2014-03-26.
8. Web site: Brower Retirement Statement . Acore.org . 2015-06-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160120122351/http://acore.org/resources/news-media/press-releases/5143-acore-announces-retirement-of-president-and-ceo-michael-brower . 2016-01-20 . dead .
9. Web site: Gregory Wetstone to be New President and CEO at the American Council on Renewable Energy. 14 December 2015.
10. Web site: ACORE CEO Greg Wetstone Stepping Down After 7+ Years of Leadership . 2023-11-10 . ACORE . en-US.
11. Web site: Eckhouse . Brian . 2023-01-23 . Renewable-Energy Advocacy Group ACORE's CEO Is Stepping Down . 2023-11-10 . news.bloomberglaw.com . en.
12. Web site: Ray Long Selected as the American Council on Renewable Energy's New President and CEO . 2023-11-10 . . en.
13. Web site: Morehouse . Catherine . 2023-10-16 . ACORE taps new CEO . 2023-11-10 . subscriber.politicopro.com.
14. Web site: Macro Grid Initiative . 2023-11-10 . ACORE . en-US.
15. Web site: Martine Jenkins . Lisa . 2020-06-17 . Renewables Groups Launching Macro-Grid Initiative . 2023-11-10 . Morning Consult Pro . en.
16. Web site: Haggerty . Jean . 2020-06-16 . Advanced macro grid initiative announced, with funding support from Bill Gates-backed group . 2023-11-10 . pv magazine USA . en-US.
17. Web site: Galford . Chris . 2020-06-18 . ACORE, ACEG form Macro Grid Initiative to spur expansion and upgrade of US transmission network . 2023-11-10 . Daily Energy Insider . en-US.
18. Web site: Accelerate . 2023-11-10 . ACORE . en-US.
19. Web site: ACORE Launches New Program to "Accelerate" DEI Within the Renewable Sector . 2023-11-10 . . en.
20. Web site: DOE Awards $3.6 Million to Promote Equity And Diversity in Clean Energy Innovation . 2023-11-10 . Energy.gov . en.
21. Web site: Executive Programs - ACORE . acore.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180224112848/https://acore.org/executiveprograms/ . 2018-02-24.
22. Web site: Executive Programs - ACORE . acore.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180224112848/https://acore.org/executiveprograms/ . 2018-02-24.
23. Web site: About - American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE).
24. Web site: ACORE Policy Forum.
25. Web site: ACORE Finance Forum.
26. Web site: ACORE Grid Forum.

External links

• Official Site
• http://www.acore.org/publications
• http://www.acore.org/executiveprograms