New group to replace American Wind Energy Association and bring renewable energy players together under single umbrella

Zichal

The soon-to-be-launched American Clean Power Association has tapped former Obama-administration official Heather Zichal as its first CEO.

The new association, which will use the initials ACP, was announced in September as a successor to the American Wind Power Association, which is being folded into the new organization. The goal of the new association is to bring the various players of the renewable energy industry together into a single group. ACP lists 32 founding members on its website and says it will represent more than 800 member companies in its first year; the association officially launches on Jan. 1.

The incoming CEO was most recently executive director of the Blue Prosperity Coalition, a global network of governments, nongovernmental organizations, scientists and ocean experts working to advance sustainable, ocean-based economic goals. She previously was vice president of corporate engagement for The Nature Conservancy.

Before joining the nonprofit sector, Zichal was deputy assistant to the president for energy and climate change during the Obama administration, where she coordinated the administration's energy and climate policy, including the Climate Action Plan. She previously was legislative director for former Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who has been named by President-elect Joe Biden as his special envoy for climate.

"Solving climate change means leading a clean energy transformation which will rebuild America's economy," Zichal said in a statement. "American Clean Power will be the leading voice for creating jobs, spurring massive investment and driving innovation, while bringing us closer to the carbon-free future we need."

Zichal has a bachelor's degree in environmental policy from Rutgers University.

Spencer Stuart assisted in the search.

ACP will replace the $23 million-revenue AWEA, which based in Washington, D.C., but neither group has said what the transformation means for the wind energy association's staff. Tom Kiernan is the current CEO of AWEA and will step down upon the launch of ACP.

"I want to congratulate Heather and extend my support to her in this transition. ACP is poised for great and important work in the coming years," Kiernan said in a statement.

The launch of the new group comes more than a year after AWEA rebranded its annual trade show as CLEANPOWER and expanded the event to cover other forms of renewable energy and energy storage.

ACP's founders also approached the Solar Energy Industries Association about a merger but the latter declined because there would be times their interests wouldn't align, SEIA CEO Abigail Ross Hopper previously told CEO Update.