Community-Based Organizations Working To Advance Energy Efficiency

Forbes

Published Jun 16, 2026

Written by Brynn Cooksey Sr.

Community-based Organizations (CBOs) are not just participants in the energy-efficiency industry. They are often the difference between programs that look good on paper and programs that actually work in practice.

Investment in energy efficiency continues to grow across the United States, driven by goals to reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality and lower carbon emissions. Yet in the field, outcomes do not always match intent. Adoption stalls, projects underperform, and in many cases, the communities most impacted by high energy burden are the least likely to benefit from available programs. This gap is not always a failure of technology or funding; it is often a failure of alignment. CBOs help to close that gap because they operate at the point where programs meet people.