Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
CEERT designs and fights for policies that advance clean, renewable, energy and climate solutions for California and the West. CEERT's team of professional staff, active board members, expert consultants, and clean-technology and environmental affiliates carry out our work through a set of focused advocacy programs. We act as participants and intervenors before all the major governmental energy, climate, and air-quality agencies. CEERT is pressing for the necessary changes in grid operations, renewable procurement, and climate policies that will enable California to reach its groundbreaking new energy and greenhouse-gas reduction goals, and put the entire Western region on the path to a low-carbon electric system and a clean-energy future.
- Income
- $1.0 million
- Spending
- $1.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- -1.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 24
- Highest pay
- $175,960, executive dir.
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
Weak: 20 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 144% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 30% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2524 of 24 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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 (1)
- $1.0 million spent. During 2023, CEERT accomplished the following:CEERTs multi-year advocacy was instrumental in a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Decision adopting a Preferred System Plan that meets an unprecedentedly low 25-million metric ton greenhouse-gas emissions target for the power sector by 2035. This PSP portfolio will enable California to meet its ambitious climate and clean-energy goals, and to reduce GHG emissions on the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) grid by 85% in 2045 while achieving a level of 113% clean energy (including exports). CAISOs 2022-2023 Transmission Plan (TP) mapped a 2032 base scenario of 26,597 mega-watts (MW) in new clean generation, while a more far-reaching 2035 sensitivity scenario studied transmission needs for 70,489 MW of clean resources. CEERT successfully argued at the CAISO and CPUC that this sensitivity scenario be the base case for the 2023-2024 TP. We are now advocating for an even more aggressive base case in the 2024-2025 TP. Partnered with our affiliates Latino Equity Advocacy and Policy Institute and Golden State Clean Energy/Westlands Solar Park to realize the San Joaquin Valley's potential for 30,000 megawatts of new large-scale solar, bring the benefits of those projects to local communities, and secure residents full access to workforce training and employment programs. Worked closely with Comit Civico del Valle, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and the Imperial Irrigation District to secure maximal development of new 24/7 geothermal generating plants by the Salton Sea, the extraction of lithium from geothermal brine, and community benefits and workforce training opportunities for Imperial Valley residents. With our allies in nearby states, furthered recent encouraging progress on the establishment of an Extended Day-Ahead Market and an eventual Regional Transmission Organization, both of which will result in improved renewables trading and cost savings across the West. Published three hard-hitting, widely distributed reports on key transmission expansion projects for California, especially in the Los Angeles Basin to reduce dependence on gas-fired power plants and in the Central Valley to greatly increase solar generation output. Began to push for increased adoption and use of grid-enhancing technologies, dynamic line rating, advanced power conductors, and high-voltage direct-current lines in advocating with state agencies for expanding transmission capacity in affordable ways.Worked to establish a Central Procurement Entity for long lead-time resources with system-wide benefits, including geothermal, offshore wind, and pumped hydro storage.In light of the states budget deficit, advocated that the CEC rescind operating subsidies from the general fund for the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility and outmoded gas-fired plants, and reallocate the funds to clean energy and demand-response infrastructure. Considerably advanced state plans for expanded transmission. In May the CAISO adopted its 2022-2023 Transmission Plan (TP), which detailed a ten-year 2032 base scenario of 26,597 MW in new clean generation. A more far-reaching 2035 sensitivity scenario studied transmission needs for 70,489 MW of new clean resources, encompassing 33,640 MW of solar, 12,301 MW of wind, 20,673 MW of battery storage, 2,000 MW of long-duration storage, and 1,746 MW of geothermal. CEERTs vigorous transmission advocacy at the CAISO and CPUC, and our three recent transmission reports, successfully argued that this sensitivity scenario be used as the base-case portfolio for the 2023-2024 TP. We are now advocating that an even more aggressive base-case be used for the upcoming 2024-2025 TP. Published three widely distributed reports on transmission: the first on planning and key projects in California; the second on the need to expand transmission into the Los Angeles Basin to improve reliability and reduce dependence on gas-fired plants; and the third on the need to expand transmission in the Central Valley to enable large-scale solar and storage projects on disturbed, formerly agricultural land. Worked with Renewable Northwest, Western Resource Advocates, Western Grid Group, and other partners in neighboring states to further recent encouraging progress toward establishing an Extended Day-Ahead Market and an eventual Regional Transmission Organization, both of which will result in improved renewables trading and cost savings across the West. Began to push for increased adoption and use of grid-enhancing technologies, dynamic line rating, advanced power conductors, and high-voltage direct-current lines in advocating with state agencies for expanding near-term transmission capacity in affordable ways.The CAISO has identified 30,000 MW of solar that can be developed in the Central Valley. CEERT Valley affiliate Westlands Solar Park is California's largest renewable energy project, and has a capacity of 2,700 MW, of which 1,170 are in active development or already constructed. We are working with WSP on permitting and the expanded transmission capacity that their projects require. CEERT is also collaborating with our longtime affiliate Latino Equity Advocacy and Policy Institute on securing local residents access to workforce training and employment programs as a major part of an overall benefits package for disadvantaged communities that are adjacent to large-scale solar generation sites in the Valley. In the Imperial Valley, CEERT is working closely with Comit Civico del Valle, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and the Imperial Irrigation District to secure maximal development of new 24/7 geothermal generating plants along with the extraction of lithium from geothermal brine, and a robust Community Benefits Agreement to accompany this development. Comit Civico del Valle has appointed CEERT Executive Director V. John White to its Technical Advisory Committee for the Imperial County Programmatic Environmental Impact Report on expanding geothermal power production and developin
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
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 September 7, 2026.
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 September 30, 2026.
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 September 10, 2026.
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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1992.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.