The Accelerate membership program is made possible by founding support from Amazon Web Services and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Foundation, and is sponsored by BayWa r.e. and Monarch Private Capital.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an effort to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within the renewable energy sector and reduce barriers for participants from underrepresented communities, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is proud to announce the launch of its new Accelerate membership program.

Through Accelerate, smaller renewable energy companies owned and operated by women and people of color will be eligible for a complimentary two-year ACORE membership. Participating organizations will gain from regular updates with important industry information; complimentary access to briefings, webinars and flagship renewable conferences; valuable thought leadership opportunities; and invitations to networking events that have helped ACORE members expand their reach within the renewable sector for years.

The Accelerate membership program is made possible by founding support from Amazon Web Services and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Foundation, and is sponsored by BayWa r.e. and Monarch Private Capital.

"We're immensely grateful to the ACORE members that have helped make the Accelerate program possible," said ACORE's President and CEO Gregory Wetstone. "Equitable representation matters, and smaller companies often do not have the resources to participate in member organizations like ACORE. Accelerate is designed to expand opportunities for businesses with leaders that reflect the diversity of our society, so they can accelerate their growth and take on central roles in the renewable energy economy."

"Renewable energy is a field defined by innovation and thinking big. I firmly believe that diversity throughout companies - including at the highest levels - is critical to pioneering the new solutions that will power our collective future," said Teresa Carlson, Vice President of Worldwide Public Sector and leader of the energy business at Amazon Web Services. "We're proud to help ACORE launch the Accelerate program, a meaningful step forward toward a more diverse and inclusive renewable industry."

"The Berkshire Hathaway Energy Foundation is pleased to partner with ACORE's Accelerate program to help diverse businesses enter, succeed and thrive in the renewable energy sector," said Pat Reiten, Berkshire Hathaway Energy's senior vice president of government relations. "A diverse and inclusive workplace is critical to our industry as well as Berkshire Hathaway Energy's vision to be the best energy company in serving our customers, while delivering sustainable energy solutions."

To learn more about the ACORE Accelerate program, including information on how you can self-nominate or nominate another company within the renewable industry to participate, go to https://acore.org/accelerate-member/.





About ACORE:
Founded in 2001, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is the nation's premier pan-renewable organization uniting finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. For more information, please visit www.acore.org.