Ex-Gates Climate Lobbyists Launch New Firm
â–Ľ Summary
– Breakthrough Energy disbanded its policy team in March, cutting dozens of staff members.
– Former Breakthrough staff founded the nonprofit Clean Economy Project to advance clean energy.
– The organization believes clean energy will soon be cost-competitive with fossil fuels.
– Breakthrough’s lobbying group was cut due to expected limited progress with the Trump administration.
– Clean Economy Project is led by Aliya Haq and backed by over 10 undisclosed funders.
A new nonprofit organization, the Clean Economy Project, has been launched by former policy and advocacy staff from Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy initiative. This move comes several months after Breakthrough Energy dissolved its internal energy policy team, resulting in significant layoffs. The newly established group shares a core belief with its predecessor: clean energy technologies are poised to become cost-competitive with, if not cheaper than, conventional fossil fuels in the foreseeable future.
Reports from earlier this year indicated that Gates made the decision to shutter the lobbying arm of Breakthrough Energy based on a belief that achieving meaningful policy progress during the Trump administration was unlikely. This strategic pivot created an opportunity for the displaced experts to channel their efforts into a new, independent venture.
Operating under the informal name CleanEcon, the organization has secured financial backing from a coalition of more than ten funders. This diverse group includes both philanthropic donors and venture capital investors, though their specific identities have not been publicly disclosed. With a dedicated team of ten professionals, CleanEcon has outlined a clear, three-part mission focused on accelerating the clean energy transition.
Their stated objectives are to streamline the development and deployment of new energy projects, foster technological innovation to drive down costs, and mitigate financial risks to attract greater private investment into clean industries. Leading this effort is Aliya Haq, who brings nearly six years of experience from her role as Vice President of U.S. Policy and Advocacy at Breakthrough Energy, now serving as the president of the new nonprofit.
(Source: TechCrunch)
