Last week the CEBN delivered a letter signed by over 500 clean energy business leaders to every House Member calling for robust action on energy by passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and urging significant clean energy investments in the reconciliation package. The letter demonstrated strong support from clean energy business leaders across the country in these bills and received coverage in Politico’s Morning Energy.

The American-Made Solar Prize is back! The latest iteration of this competition, Round 5, is offering solar innovators $4.6 million in total cash prizes. Learn more about this prize and view resources to help you compete to win.

The CEBN delivered a letter last week to Senate leadership and the “Gang of 22” urging support for a bipartisan infrastructure package that includes the Energy Infrastructure Act. Over 420 clean energy business leaders and individuals have signed onto to an updated version of the letter, which calls on Congress to advance this legislation and other energy policies. CEBN’s parent organization, BCSE, also sent a coalition letter on this important legislation.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) is seeking ideas that will accelerate the development of systems that use low-cost solar-thermal energy to produce clean water from very-high-salinity water, like water produced from oil and gas extraction. CEBN recently held a webinar featuring Sarah Gomach, a program administrator from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Gary Katz, Founder and CEO of Katz Water Technologies, and one of eight semifinalists from the first round of the Solar Desalination Prize, also spoke on the webinar. The full recording can be found below.

In July 1969, an estimated 650 million people watched the historic moon landing live on TV. Federal investments in the space program not only paid off with technological advances but also served to inspire many to pursue careers in STEM. The educational spillover effects of federal support for young people in scientific innovation was on full display this month, as 13 teams of undergraduate students competed in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC).

Are you an early career professional (or career changer) seeking interesting, meaningful work? Would you enjoy helping small businesses thrive, learning more about government policy and energy markets, and protecting the environment? If so, then you may be a great fit for the Clean Energy Business Network team!

Last week, the Department of Energy announced 235 American small businesses were collectively awarded $54 million through the 2021 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

The seventh installment of Powering Forward was held in partnership with Grove Climate Group. The webinar explored the growing discussion regarding how to best understand, acknowledge, and address the wide-ranging societal dimensions of the clean energy transition — with EJ issues in mind.

This spring, 42 clean energy business leaders within the CEBN participated in a flurry of advocacy meetings on clean energy research, development, and demonstration. The group pushed Congress to boost funding for clean energy RD&D programs across the Department of Energy in Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations.

As we work to grow the clean energy economy, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) and Clean Energy Business Network (CEBN) are always seeking ways to make business easier for our members. In 2021, we’re launching a new member benefit to make your 401(k) not only better, but also more sustainable through Environment-Social-Governance (ESG)-aligned investments.

Biden campaigned on prioritizing climate change in his Administration, with an ambitious $2T plan to invest in clean energy and setting a target for a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035. It was no surprise then that the new Administration has taken swift action on clean energy and climate in its first days. CEBN has crafted a summary of the key personnel President Biden has chosen to implement his clean energy and climate agenda, along with the actions he has taken in his first few weeks in office.

The Junction Box is a new initiative to tap into the collective ideas and energy of the clean energy community to spur innovative policy and business solutions. Just as a junction box brings together electrical wires in a safe enclosure, these events will bring together our collective synapses in a safe space for discussion on emerging ideas for our industry.