On Tuesday, at the virtual Energy Leadership Summit, the Clean Energy Transition Institute won the 2021 Energy Leadership Organization Achievement Award for outstanding achievements in energy policy, innovation, and business. The CleanTech Alliance has given out these awards since 2014.

Here is how CETI was described by Debra Smith, Seattle City Light’s General Manager and CEO, who presented the award:

In just three years, the Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) has become a reliable source for independent analysis of how to transform the Northwest to a clean energy economy. In 2019, CETI commissioned the first deep decarbonization pathways study mapped to the Northwest’s economic and institutional realities that showed how Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington could achieve a low-carbon economy by 2050. This seminal research established a baseline for policymakers to rely on; demonstrated that decarbonization was achievable at a reasonable cost; and highlighted the importance of a regional approach for reducing emissions.

This is huge recognition for CETI to receive after such a short period of time, and it would not have happened without the steadfast support of, and very hard work by, many people and organizations that I want to acknowledge as follows:

• Board: Founding President Marc Daudon and current President John McGarry; Vice President and Secretary Ross Macfarlane; Treasurer Liz Thomas; Development Chair Kathleen Hebert; Founding Board Member Jabe Blumenthal, and Director Bonnie Frye Hemphill.

• Funders: The individual donors and foundations that have supported our work, especially the Stolte Family Foundation, without which CETI could not have been launched or sustained.

• Fiscal Sponsor: Climate Solutions (2018), in particular Gregg Small, Conner Sharpe, and Shannon Sedgwick.

• Team (in chronological order): Kristin Hayman; Nicole Larson; Bruce Jacobsen; Aditi Bansal; David Paolella; Ben Hagen; and Samikshya Pandey.

• Contractors: Technical: Angela Becker-Dippmann; Digital Communications: Caleb Smith; Publicity: Brad Kahn; Copyediting: Shari Miranda; Development: Nicole Chevalier; Accounting: Jessica Adair; Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Marcelo Bonta; Editing: Brendan McLaughlin; and Research: Claire Buysse.

• Technical Consultants: Evolved Energy Research: Jeremy Hargreaves, Ben Haley, Gabe Kwok, Jamil Farbes, Ryan Jones; 2050 Institute: Poppy Storm; Stockholm Environment Institute: Michael Lazarus, Derik Broekhoff; One Visual Mind: Carol Maglitta, Karen Beck; Inclusive Economics: Betony Jones; Plumb Productions: Jessica Plumb; and Hammerschlag, LLC: Roel Hammerschlag.

• Clients: Washington State Department of Commerce; Montana State Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; and the Oregon Clean Energy Pathways Team—Renewable Northwest and GridLab.

Thank you all so very much for all you have done to bring CETI to this point of recognition. We still have a very long way to go to accelerate decarbonization in the Northwest, so our work is far from done. But this award most certainly puts wind in our sails, for which we are exceptionally grateful.