WASHINGTON – Today C2ES Action—a 501(c)(4) organization aligned with the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions—announced the addition of three prominent clean energy and climate leaders to its Board of Directors: Mike Boots, Kevin Kolevar, and Rich Powell. Collectively, they bring decades of bipartisan experience in energy innovation, public policy, business leadership, and coalition-building that will help strengthen the work of C2ES Action in advancing practical, durable climate and energy policies.
The new board members join C2ES Action as the United States faces growing energy demand, increasing global economic competition, and a critical need for policy solutions that can earn broad and lasting support. Their combined expertise spans the private sector, government, philanthropy, and clean energy advocacy, reflecting the diverse coalition needed to accelerate American energy innovation and deployment. They join board chair Jeffrey Williams, and members Nat Keohane, Roger Martella, Ann Klee, and Alex Flint.
“Mike, Kevin, and Rich have each demonstrated an extraordinary ability to bring together leaders from different perspectives to advance pragmatic solutions,” said Nat Keohane, president of C2ES Action. “As we work to enact durable, lasting policies that ensure abundant, reliable, affordable clean energy, reduce emissions, and position the American economy to compete and win on clean energy, their experience and strategic insights will be invaluable.”
About the New Board Members
Mike Boots is a clean energy leader and external affairs executive with more than 30 years of experience in the private and public sectors, and currently advises companies, philanthropies, and family offices on energy, technology, policy, and innovation. He previously led the White House Council on Environmental Quality and served as a senior environmental advisor to President Obama, helping coordinate federal climate, conservation, and clean energy initiatives. Most recently, Boots served as Executive Vice President of Breakthrough Energy and led the Washington office of Gates Ventures.
“Long-lasting progress on climate and energy happens when leaders from different sectors come together around practical goals,” said Boots. “C2ES Action is building exactly that kind of coalition, and I’m honored to be part of it.”
Kevin Kolevar is Senior Vice President, Global Government and Regulatory Affairs at Viasat. A longtime energy policy and business leader with experience spanning the public and private sectors, Kolevar previously served as Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability at the U.S. Department of Energy, helping establish the federal government’s approach to grid security and reliability. He later held senior leadership roles in industry, including as Vice President, Global Public Policy and Government Affairs at Dow.
“Today’s energy technologies eliminate the binary choice between emissions and capacity,” said Kolevar. “I look forward to working with my fellow C2ES Action board members to secure durable energy policies that drive economic growth, reduce emissions, and increase reliability.”
Rich Powell is Chief Executive Officer of the Corporate Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) and the Clean Energy Buyers Institute. Previously, he served as CEO of ClearPath, where he helped advance policies supporting clean energy innovation and deployment. Throughout his career, Powell has become a leading voice on energy innovation, grid reliability, and permitting reform.
“I’ve seen firsthand how innovation and smart policy can unlock clean, abundant energy,” said Powell. “C2ES Action is helping build the political support needed to turn opportunity into reality, and I’m excited to support their efforts.”
About C2ES Action
C2ES Action exists to champion policies that scale clean energy and create good jobs in the United States, while ensuring a stable climate. In a moment when our economic future offers a critical opportunity to build and advance a shared national agenda, C2ES Action offers a steady hand to guide policies from ideas to results, leveraging our earned trust across the political spectrum, a robust private sector network, and world-class research and expertise.
