ClearPath Foundation (also called the 2040 Foundation) is a right-of-center grantmaking organization that claims to support convincing “conservatives and Republicans to embrace clean energy.” ¹ The group was founded in 2013 by right-leaning “climate change activist” Jay Faison ² and advocates for conservatives and right-of-center elected officials to support weather-dependent energy technology. ³

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, ClearPath Foundation’s grants are “funneled through” groups like the Foundation for the Carolinas and the Schwab Charitable Fund to support conservative think tanks’ work on nuclear regulatory issues and the impact of energy policies. ⁴

History and Leadership

ClearPath Foundation was founded in 2013 with a $165,600,000 donation from “conservative climate change activist” Jay Faison, ^{2 4} receiving tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2014. ⁵ According to official filings with the IRS, the organization changed its name to the 2040 Foundation in 2018, ^{6 7 4} with Faison claiming the name change would allow the group to act on “climate ends in 2040.” ⁸

Faison is the group’s executive chairman as of 2024. ⁹ Faison was previously a right-of-center donor to organizations and campaigns affiliated with the Republican Party. He claims to support a “free enterprise system unshackled from bad regulation and labor unions,” ¹⁰ and alleges the Republican Party “needs a fresh approach” towards climate change policy. ¹⁰

Jeremy Harrell is the CEO of ClearPath Foundation, holding the role since May 2024 after working for the group since 2017. Harrell was previously a member of the board of directors for the United States Nuclear Industry Council, a member of the U.S Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee, and a senior policy advisor for former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV). ¹¹

Katie Christian is the group’s chief of staff. She previously served as Director of the White House Management Office during the Trump administration and was an advisor to U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA). ¹²

ClearPath Foundation’s board of advisors includes former U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) as well as previous energy and environmental policy advisors for the George W. Bush administration and Trump administration. Others on the list have been affiliated with Arnold Ventures, the World Bank, the office of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the office of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). ¹³

Activities

Prior to the 2016 Presidential Election, ClearPath Foundation presented polling data from Republican-affiliated polling firm Echelon Insights which they claimed showed that “support for clean energy is strong both with the overall electorate and with the conservative Republicans that form a core constituency for many Republican elected officials.” ³ The foundation also claimed to produce polling that it argued shows a strong support for weather-dependent energy and non-fossil-fuel energy projects amongst right-leaning voters. ¹⁴ The John Locke Foundation has criticized such polling measures and data  as misleading in order to pressure Republican Party candidates to embrace “clean energy” policies. ^{15 4}

In 2018, ClearPath Foundation spokesperson Darren Goode commented to Mother Jones that the group is primarily a “clean energy, not a climate, organization.” ¹⁶ ClearPath Foundation has also advocated for an “all of the above” energy approach to allegedly include small nuclear reactors, hydropower, wind, solar, and advanced storage technology. ¹⁷ Founder Jay Faison has claimed that he wants to provide “private-sector” answers to climate change. ^{18 19}

In 2019, ClearPath Foundation supported then-U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy‘s (R-CA) appointment of then-U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) to an ad hoc climate change committee formed by then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Rep. Graves, previously a state environmental policy official in Louisiana, was selected over then-U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). ²⁰

The organization claims to support increased subsidies for environmental energy technologies through the U.S. Department of Energy ²¹ and previously worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to advocate for increased funding towards weather-dependent energy technologies. ⁴ It also administers a tracking tool on its website for the purpose of energy-related spending programs as part of the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. ²²

In 2022, ClearPath Foundation spent $16,148,392 on various programs related to weather-dependent energy, social impact, and other energy-related public charities. This spending included $15,806,571 in grants. ²³

Related Organizations

ClearPath Foundation is a member of the ClearPath Network, a group of organizations founded by ClearPath Foundation founder Jay Faison. Other groups within the affiliated Network include ClearPath, ClearPath Action, and the ClearPath Action Fund for Conservative Clean Energy. ^{24 25}

Lobbying

ClearPath Foundation has previously lobbied on environmental issues. As of November 2024, the organization has retained five registered lobbying firms: ClearPath Action, Alpine Group, Cassidy and Associates, Dunham Law and Policy, and Torrey Advisory Group. In 2024 alone, ClearPath Foundation spent at least $1,515,109 on lobbying. Its lobbying focuses on energy and nuclear power, federal budget and appropriations, agriculture, and tax-related issues. According to its reporting, in 2024 ClearPath Foundation lobbied the Biden administration‘s U.S Department of Agriculture, U.S Department of Energy, and White House Office of Management and Budget. ²⁶

In 2023, ClearPath Foundation claimed to have hired 14 lobbyists while spending $1,446,978 on lobbying fees in 2023. ²⁷ Data from OpenSecrets states the group hired 11 lobbyists and spent $1,460,000 for lobbying in 2022, ²⁸ while spending $1,330,000 on lobbying with 12 hired lobbyists in 2021. ²⁹

Funding

ClearPath Foundation claims to provide grants and donations to organizations advocating for clean energy, nuclear regulation and climate-related policies. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, ClearPath Foundation’s grants are “funneled through” the Foundation for the Carolinas and the Schwab Charitable Fund to support conservative think tanks’ work on nuclear regulatory issues and the impact of energy policies. ⁴

In 2022, ClearPath Foundation donated $15,806,571 in grants. ²³ These included $5,621,000 to the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, $4,500,000 to the 1st Street Foundation, $2,712,196 to ClearPath Inc, $2,112,120 to the American Flood Coalition, $691,250 to the Schwab Charitable Fund, $120,000 to the National Christian Foundation, and $50,005 to Cool Effect Inc. ³⁰

In 2021, the organization donated $17,439,500 worth of grants. These included $10,167,500 to Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, $3,600,000 to the associated ClearPath, $2,355,000 to American Flood Coalition, $1,015,000 to Schwab Charitable Fund, $145,000 to the National Christian Charitable Foundation, and $100,000 to the Mentoring Alliance. ³¹

By 2020, ClearPath Foundation had made grants to the Energy Innovation Reform Project ³² and the Niskanen Center for Public Policy. ⁴

Financials

ClearPath Foundation was initially funded in 2013 with a $165,600,000 donation from its founder, Jay Faison ⁴ and donor-advised fund provider Foundation for the Carolinas. ^{33 34} In 2022, ClearPath Foundation reported a net negative revenue of $421,090 and expenses of $17,286,494. ³⁵ ClearPath Foundation reported revenue of $2,340,203 and expenses of $20,966,936 in 2021. ³⁶

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2. Daniel Lauer and Hayden Ludwig. “The Myth of the Conservative Carbon Tax: A Who’s Who of the EcoRight.” Capital Research Center. October 12, 2018. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-myth-of-the-conservative-carbon-tax-part-4/.
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11. “Jeremy Harrell.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed November 16, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremybharrell/.
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17. “6 Conservative Clean Energy Pillars.” ClearPath Foundation. Accessed December 19, 2019. https://clearpath.org/policy/.
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22. “ClearPath Infrastructure Tracker.” ClearPath. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://clearpath.org/clearpath-infrastructure-tracker/
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33. Data provided by FoundationSearch. ClearPath Foundation. Accessed January 9, 2020. www.FoundationSearch.org.
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35. “2040 Foundation Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/463891359/202333199349307518/full.
36. “2040 Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2021. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/463891359/202213189349315466/full.