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Non-profit

Advanced Energy Institute (AEI)

Website:

www.aee.net/about/institute
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

80-0373801
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $7,173,171
Expenses: $5,579,566
Assets: $6,391,509
Type:

Energy Policy Advocacy Group
Formation:

2009
Board Chair:

Sudeen Kelly
Budget (2022):

Revenue: $7,914,899

Expenses: $7,249,048

Assets: $9,540,786 1

References

  1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Advanced Energy Institute. 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/800373801/202332439349301208/full

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Advanced Energy Institute (AEI), formerly the Advanced Energy Economy Institute (AEEI), is a branch of the left-of-center Advanced Energy Economy (AEE). AEI performs research to support its advocacy for environmentalist policy in coordination with AEE. 1

AEI’s board of directors overlaps with the boards of directors for AEE and Advanced Energy Works (AEW). As AEE’s affiliate, AEI helps advocates for environmentalist policy that subsidizes the expansion of businesses using environmentalist energy or operating in environmentalist energy sectors. 2

Background

Founded in 2009, Advanced Energy Institute (AEI) was originally named the Clean Economy Network Education Fund until it became affiliated with the business league Advanced Energy Economy as its charitable arm. 3 Following this, it was renamed the Advanced Energy Economy Institute, and as of 2024 the organization changed its name again to the AEI. 4 It is also affiliated with AEW, the lobbying branch of AEE. Before becoming an affiliate of AEE, Clean Economy Network Education Fund worked with businesses to become members of the fund and coordinate advocacy for environmentalist policy. 5

Tom Steyer founded AEE in 2011 with about 700 companies as the first trade group that includes multiple environmentalist energy sectors. It was created so there could be more environmentalist policy advocacy by trade groups that included multiple sectors as opposed to one. 6

Resources and Advocacy

The website for the Advanced Energy Institute (AEI) offers various resources that provide information about environmentalism and how it envisions environmentalist energy could replace conventional energy. The organization’s resources all link to Advanced Energy Economy’s website and sponsored resources, including reports, webinars, a program called PowerSuite, and a blog. 7

AEE’s reports, webinars, and blog provide information advocating for the economic benefits for using environmentalist energy. As a business league, AEE provides resources that support its advocacy for government spending on environmentalist energy sectors in which its members operate. 8

In 2017, then-State Senator Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) cited a report by then-AEEI in a speech to support the argument that there are 10 times as many environmentalist energy workers in California as there are coal miners in the entire country. The left-of-center fact-checking organization PolitiFact found that the report provides an “elusive” number, is problematic, and needs further clarification based on which workers it includes in the statistic. 9

Insight Engine

Advanced Energy Institute’s (AEIs) website directs users to its “Insight Engine,” formerly called its “PowerPortal,” as one of its resources. 10 11
Insight Engine is AEE’s SaaS database platform that automatically collects legislation data related to energy policy at the regional, state, and federal agencies, including both houses of the United States Congress. 12 It contains over 80 million regulatory filings, 1 million legislative issues, and 200 regulatory and utility profiles. 13 14

Leadership

Sudeen Kelly is the board chair for Advanced Energy Institute (AEI), as well as a partner with Jenner & Block law firm. She previously served as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission during the George W. Bush and Obama Administrations, worked as a lawyer for both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and was a legislative aid for then-Senator Senator Jeff Bingaman when he was a ranking member of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. 15

Financials

In 2009 and 2010, the organization, then titled the Advanced Energy Economy Institute (AEEI), reported $1,750,027 in combined revenue. 16 After becoming an affiliate of Advanced Energy Economy, AEEI reported an average annual revenue of $5,615,261 between 2011 and 2022. 17

In 2019, then-AEEI reported paying $3,181,819 in salaries and other compensation out of its $4,466,549 in total expenses. 18

According to the AEI’s 2022 990 form, the organization reported $7,914,899 in revenue, $7,249,048 in expenses, and $9,540,786 in total assets. 19

References

  1. “Who We Are.” Advanced Energy Institute, Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/board-of-directors
  2. “Who We Are.” Advanced Energy Institute, Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/board-of-directors
  3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Clean Economy Network Education Fund. 2009. Box F.
  4. “Who We Are.” Advanced Energy Institute, Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/board-of-directors
  5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Clean Economy Network Education Fund. 2009. Part III, Section 4.
  6. Jaffe, Mark. “Alternative-Energy ‘Chamber of Commerce’ Launched in Denver.” The Denver Post. The Denver Post, November 7, 2011. https://www.denverpost.com/2011/11/07/alternative-energy-chamber-of-commerce-launched-in-denver/.
  7. Advanced Energy Economy Institute. (n.d.). Resources. AEEI. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/digital-resources.
  8. “Advocacy: Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Infrastructure.” AEE. Advanced Energy Economy. Accessed May 20, 2021. https://www.aee.net/manufacturing-infrastructure.
  9. Nichols, Chris. “PolitiFact – Do California’s Clean Energy Jobs Equal 10 Times the Nation’s Coal Mining Jobs?” @politifact. Poynter Institute, June 2, 2017. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2017/jun/02/kevin-de-leon/does-california-have-10-times-many-clean-energy-jo/.
  10. Advanced Energy Economy Institute. (n.d.). Resources. AEEI. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/digital-resources.
  11. “Advanced Energy Institute Resources.” Advanced Energy Institute, Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/digital-resources?hsCtaTracking=fbe94540-17c3-4279-b44b-5da9aa21d682%7C57c47d69-097f-411f-b644-23c56ac6500b
  12. “PowerSuite Data Coverage and Update Frequency.” AEE PowerSuite Help Center. Accessed February 23, 2021. http://help-powersuite.aee.net/en/articles/702563-powersuite-data-coverage-and-update-frequency.
  13. Fitz, Eric. “Eric Fitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 23, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehfitz/.
  14. “Advanced Energy Institute Resources.” Advanced Energy Institute, Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/digital-resources?hsCtaTracking=fbe94540-17c3-4279-b44b-5da9aa21d682%7C57c47d69-097f-411f-b644-23c56ac6500b
  15. “Who We Are.” Advanced Energy Institute, Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.aeeinstitute.org/board-of-directors
  16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Clean Economy Network Education Fund. 2010. Line 12.
  17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Advanced Energy Economy Institute. 2011-2022. Line 12.
  18. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Advanced Energy Economy Institute. 2019. Lines 15 and 18.
  19. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Advanced Energy Institute. 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/800373801/202332439349301208/full

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Tom Steyer
    Founder
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: October 1, 2009

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $7,173,171 $5,579,566 $6,391,509 $980,293 N $7,173,134 $0 $37 $599,049
    2020 Dec Form 990 $5,176,077 $4,573,904 $5,253,245 $1,435,634 N $5,175,804 $0 $273 $607,937
    2019 Dec Form 990 $4,793,686 $4,466,549 $3,431,956 $216,518 N $4,785,722 $0 $464 $618,449 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $4,551,548 $4,283,174 $3,028,708 $140,407 N $4,545,664 $0 $484 $149,367 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $4,646,358 $3,259,108 $2,779,597 $159,670 N $4,646,171 $0 $187 $43,414
    2016 Dec Form 990 $3,606,272 $3,508,601 $1,554,667 $321,990 N $3,605,915 $0 $357 $92,048 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $3,172,851 $3,648,292 $2,287,867 $1,152,861 N $3,172,060 $0 $791 $99,571 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $2,549,036 $2,842,207 $2,470,198 $859,751 N $2,565,826 $0 $779 $106,973 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $3,108,974 $7,349,262 $2,483,439 $579,821 N $3,107,000 $0 $1,974 $243,964 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $11,346,264 $6,585,437 $6,404,627 $260,721 N $11,315,500 $0 $2,587 $148,230 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $3,143,847 $1,876,894 $1,594,784 $211,705 N $3,150,370 $0 $253 $142,212 PDF
    2010 Dec Form 990 $1,110,052 $1,177,328 $225,434 $109,308 N $1,109,791 $0 $261 $127,450 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Advanced Energy Institute (AEI)

    1000 VERMONT AVENUE NW NO 3 FL
    WASHINGTON, DC 20005-0000