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Environmental and Energy Study Institute

EIN 52-1268030 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong90 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY STUDY INSTITUTE IS TO ADVANCE SCIENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION OF A SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, AND EQUITABLE WORLD.

Income
$2.3 million
Spending
$2.2 million
Spent on programs
66%
Reserves
20 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 72%
Employees
23
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$206,625, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 90 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 20.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 31% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 27% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    65% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    15 of 15 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $1.2 million spent. POLICYMAKER EDUCATION (FEDERAL CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY POLICY PROGRAM). FOUNDED BY A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, EESI HAS WORKED SINCE 1984 TO PROVIDE SCIENCE-BASED INFORMATION ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY, AND CLIMATE CHANGE TOPICS TO POLICYMAKERS AND THE PUBLIC. EESI BRIEFINGS, FACT SHEETS, ARTICLES, NEWSLETTERS, AND PODCASTS ARE INFORMATIVE, OBJECTIVE, NONPARTISAN, AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AT WWW.EESI.ORG. EESI EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES REACHED 83% OF CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES BY THE END OF 2024. IN 2024, MORE THAN 2,910 PEOPLE ATTENDED OUR 20 BRIEFINGS. MORE THAN 14,500 SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVED THE BIWEEKLY NEWSLETTER, CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS, AND MORE THAN 7,800 PEOPLE RECEIVED THE DAILY NEWSLETTER, COP DISPATCH, DURING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE SUMMIT (COP29). EPISODES OF EESI'S PODCAST, THE CLIMATE CONVERSATION, WERE STREAMED ABOUT 6,000 TIMES. EESI PUBLISHED 96 CLIMATE-RELATED ARTICLES AND FOUR FACT SHEETS. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2024 INCLUDED A RECORD-HIGH LEVEL OF CONGRESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT; EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF COP29; THE CONGRESSIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY FORUM; FACT SHEETS ABOUT PFAS "FOREVER CHEMICALS," DIRECT PAY TAX CREDITS, FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES, AND CLIMATE JOBS; AND 88 MEDIA CITATIONS OR QUOTATIONS.
  2. $197,027 spent. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (ACCESS CLEAN ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM). EESI PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP RURAL UTILITIES DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAMS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION. IN 2024, EESI WORKED WITH 30 RURAL UTILITIES AND FOUR GREEN BANKS AND ASSISTED WITH THREE ZERO-INTEREST RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM LOAN APPLICATIONS FOR $80 MILLION (FOR CUMULATIVE TOTALS OF 25 UTILITIES AND $320 MILLION IN SECURED FUNDS). EESI-ASSISTED ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAMS FINANCED AT LEAST 950 CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS WORTH ABOUT $27 MILLION (FOR A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF 4,850 WORTH ABOUT $115 MILLION). KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2024 INCLUDED ASSISTANCE TO RURAL UTILITIES AND GREEN BANKS TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, AND CAPITALIZE ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAMS; SUPPORT FOR THE ELECTRIFY AND SAVE ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAM, INCLUDINGS ITS APPLICATION FOR A $75 MILLION LOAN FROM THE RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM; AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE JOB-CREATION BENEFITS OF THE RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM; UPDATES TO THE BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION TOOLKIT (WWW.BETOOLKIT.ORG); AND ENGAGEMENT WITH NONPROFITS ABOUT THE MULTIPLE BENEFITS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
  3. $72,939 spent. OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS (RICHARD L. OTTINGER INTERNSHIP AND FUTURE CLIMATE LEADERS' SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS). EESI OFFERS PAID INTERNSHIPS TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS PURSUING STUDIES IN FIELDS RELATED TO CLIMATE POLICY. INTERNS GAIN EXPERIENCE IN POLICY, COMMUNICATIONS, RESEARCH, AND NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT. THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IS NAMED FOR EESI CO-FOUNDER AND BOARD CHAIR EMERITUS RICHARD L. "DICK" OTTINGER, WHO FORMERLY REPRESENTED NEW YORK IN CONGRESS. EESI ALSO OFFERS THE FUTURE CLIMATE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY UNCF (UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND) AND AVAILABLE TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS PURSUING RELEVANT STUDIES AT MID-ATLANTIC HISTORICALLY-BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2024 INCLUDED 12 PAID INTERNSHIPS AND THREE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS PURSUING STUDIES IN FIELDS RELATED TO CLIMATE POLICY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1983.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

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