Colorado Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit financial institution that utilizes and leverages mission-driven capital to fill financial gaps in Colorado’s clean energy markets. CCEF operates on the “Green Bank” model that was successfully pioneered in other states, like Connecticut and New York, and identifies un-and under-served clean energy opportunities in Colorado and works with various stakeholders to structure finance solutions to bring those opportunities to fruition.
CCEF was born out of a three-year collaboration among the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC). This collaboration aligned to create CCEF with a shared belief that a specialized, nonprofit intermediary was necessary to identify barriers to financing clean energy projects and bridge the gap between clean energy projects and traditional capital providers. CCEF was incorporated as a Colorado non-profit and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced the formation of the fund in December 2018.
CCEF was recently allocated $30 million of capital with which to launch its operations and inaugural loan products through the passage of Senate Bill 230. With this capital, CCEF will support clean energy projects in the built environment (commercial and residential buildings, including affordable housing projects) and beyond (electric vehicle charging infrastructure, community solar, etc.). CCEF’s vision is a just and equitable transition to a decarbonized and resilient economy, and our mission is to ensure equal access to capital for all Coloradans as they participate in this transition.
