The Green Power Leadership Awards (GPLAs), presented at the annual Renewable Energy Markets conference, are the oldest and most coveted competitive awards in the renewable energy industry. They recognize outstanding leadership in the field by the individuals and organizations driving green power development and adoption.
Congratulations 2025 GPLA Winners
The nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) presented the 2025 Green Power Leadership Awards today, awarding eight organizations and one individual for their roles in promoting and expanding the use of clean, renewable energy. The awards were presented during the Renewable Energy Markets™ (REM™) 2025 conference in Houston in the categories of Community Impact, Education and Awareness, Market Innovation, and Leader of the Year.
“This year’s Green Power Leadership Award winners are using their talents and resources to leverage clean energy development in innovative ways with far-reaching benefits,” said Jennifer Martin, CEO of Center for Resource Solutions. “Our winners this year are helping expand clean energy to underserved communities, extend land-use options through agrivoltaics, combine consumer education with career development, and truly move the needle with substantial solar projects that benefit local workforces.”
Community Impact
Community Services of Moses Lake, Inc.
Community Services of Moses Lake, Inc. increases local access to the benefits of clean energy through its innovative solar and battery storage microgrid project at the Moses Lake Food Bank in Washington. This critical initiative ensures backup power for refrigeration and distribution operations, safeguarding food security for vulnerable populations during outages while reducing annual energy costs by 73%. The system supports walk-in freezers, emergency lighting, and exterior truck outlets at the food bank’s recently expanded facility, directly benefiting the growing number of community members served. Notably, the project includes community education, extending its impact beyond immediate operational needs. By combining renewable energy with essential social services, Community Services of Moses Lake has created a replicable model of sustainability and resilience.
Pivot Energy
Pivot Energy is a company that demonstrates a long history of combining renewable energy development with social impact. As a Certified B Corporation, Pivot has spearheaded innovative community solar projects that expand clean energy access while delivering tangible benefits to underserved communities through its groundbreaking “Impact RECs” program. Pivot is a leader with its universal adoption of “agrivoltaics,” with 98% of qualified sites incorporating livestock grazing and the remainder supporting crops or habitat. The company’s 78 active grazing projects demonstrate unparalleled commitment to dual-purpose land use. Pivot also donated over $400,000 in 2024 to community programs and partnered with corporate leaders like Walmart and Microsoft to develop impact projects. With 3.5 gigawatts across 1,800 projects, Pivot Energy continues to harmonize environmental and social progress.
Education and Awareness
Exact Solar
Exact Solar is being recognized for its critical work in solar energy education and community engagement. Understanding that knowledge barriers often prevent solar adoption, Exact Solar developed accessible, community-based education programs through partnerships with local Solarize groups and participation in the ASES National Solar Tour. The company’s hands-on approach helps communities experience solar technology firsthand, building trust and understanding. Exact Solar extends its impact through workforce development programs with organizations like OIC Philadelphia, training the next generation of solar professionals. By combining consumer education with career development, it addresses both sides of the renewable energy equation. Exact Solar is driving meaningful participation in our clean energy future by making solar energy approachable through consistent community presence, educational outreach, and lasting local relationships.
Vote Solar
Vote Solar has distinguished itself through its transformative work in renewable energy advocacy and education. Through expert policy engagement and innovative programs like “The Hub,” Vote Solar has become a driving force for equitable clean energy adoption nationwide. In 2024 alone, the organization’s 165 campaigns across 20 states created demand for over 12,000 MW of solar capacity while benefiting underserved communities and helping retire fossil fuel plants. Its unique approach combines technical expertise with community empowerment, making complex energy policies accessible to all. Through its unique blend of education, advocacy, and coalition-building, Vote Solar has empowered communities to actively participate in shaping their energy future.
Market Innovation
Microsoft
Microsoft’s transformative leadership in renewable energy innovation is showcased in its landmark agreements, including a 12 GW partnership with Qcells supporting U.S. solar manufacturing and a record 10.5 GW global deal with Brookfield. Both agreements demonstrate unprecedented scale in clean energy procurement. Microsoft has also spearheaded circular economy solutions, mandating 100% solar panel recycling in its Engie PPAs and investing in SolarCycle’s Georgia facility, which will process 10 million panels annually by 2030. These initiatives address both energy generation and sustainable lifecycle management. Microsoft exemplifies how corporate leadership can drive systemic change in the clean energy transition and the circular economy.
Savion
Savion’s Martin County Solar Project represents a landmark achievement in renewable energy development. This 111-megawatt facility, built on a reclaimed Kentucky coal mine, transforms a former industrial site into a clean energy hub powering approximately 18,500 homes annually. The project’s 214,000 bifacial solar panels demonstrate innovative brownfield redevelopment while creating hundreds of local jobs. Through Virtual PPAs with Toyota Motor North America and Shell Energy North America, Savion established new pathways for corporate renewable energy procurement. As Savion’s first fully owned Kentucky project, it reflects the company’s growing leadership in sustainable development. Savion exemplifies how environmental and economic objectives can align to benefit both local communities and the broader clean energy transition.
The Starbucks Coffee Company
Building upon its legacy of sustainable energy initiatives, Starbucks’ strategic partnerships and investments deliver both environmental benefits and social impact. Starbucks has partnered with Nexamp to develop 6 Illinois community solar projects with workforce training, committed over $80 million in tax equity financing toward a 99-megawatt solar facility in South Carolina, followed by a $75 million investment in the Viejas Microgrid Project in California. This represents the largest behind-the-meter solar and storage installation in the U.S. and will significantly enhance Tribal energy sovereignty. Starbucks will receive RECs from both projects, which will soon provide enough renewable energy to cover over 900 Starbucks stores. Their VPPA in Texas directs $200,000 annually to local resilience and career development programs. Altogether, these cross-country projects will contribute over 200 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity to the grid.
Consortium for Climate Solutions (C4CS), founded by Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Consortium for Climate Solutions (C4CS) is a collaboration of Harvard, MIT, Mass General Brigham, and 8 Massachusetts institutions—has revolutionized renewable energy procurement through the use of VPPAs. Supported by PowerOptions, this consortium pools together demand, enabling smaller entities to access favorable terms, technical expertise, and risk mitigation typically reserved for corporate buyers. C4CS enabled the development of 408 MW of wind and solar projects, notably the 200-MW Big Elm Solar in Texas, and the 208-MW Bowman Wind project in North Dakota. Combined, they produce power for the equivalent of 130,000 homes annually while injecting 1.3 million MWh of clean energy annually into the grid. This model generates $64 million in tax revenue, 750 jobs, and $100 million for landowners. C4CS’s breakthrough proves collective action can decarbonize grids and spur economic growth.
Leader of the Year
James Critchfield
As Head of Registry & Market Integrity at CleanCounts, James is charged with delivering a climate-aligned, customer-focused registry service, drawing on his expertise in tracking systems, energy attribute certificates, and greenhouse gas accounting standards. His past leadership includes working for a California-based solar design and build firm, advisory roles with RE100, the Green-e Governance Board, and the GHG Protocol. He has also shaped federal and market policy through multiple Presidential Executive Orders, the Clean Power Plan, and the 45V Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. At the U.S. EPA, James guided the Green Power Partnership to realize more than 110 billion kilowatt-hours of annual voluntary procurement and also led the creation of the first U.S. Heat Metering Standard. His technical expertise, vision, and contributions to the voluntary market distinguish him as an extraordinary leader in the green energy industry, and we are proud to present him with this year’s Leader of the Year award.