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.
According to Public Input, these organizations are typically rooted in the communities they serve, with leadership that reflects the populations most affected by high utility costs, aging housing stock and poor indoor environmental conditions. They do not have to interpret the problem from a distance because they experience it firsthand.
In many homes we evaluate, energy burden—defined by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) as “a group of individuals who spend a greater portion of their income on energy bills than the average household”—is not an abstract concept. It shows up in real decisions: homeowners running systems less than needed to manage costs, delaying necessary upgrades, or living with comfort and air quality issues because they are unsure who to trust. That trust gap is one of the most overlooked barriers to adoption, and it is where CBOs consistently deliver value.
How CBOs Are Formed
Most CBOs are formed out of necessity. They emerge when patterns become too consistent to ignore such as in neighborhoods with persistently high utility bills, homes with recurring comfort complaints, or from residents who are aware of programs but unable or unwilling to participate. In many cases, the early stages of development are informal. Local leaders, trades professionals, and community advocates begin by organizing workshops, connecting residents to resources, or helping neighbors navigate complex program requirements. As those efforts grow, they often evolve into formal organizations capable of building partnerships, securing funding and delivering targeted solutions at scale.
According to Gloria Lowe, President of We Want Green Too, a community-based nonprofit located on Detroit’s East Side, successful community engagement starts with listening rather than prescribing solutions.
“How do you bring about change if you’re not having communication and discourse with the individuals you’re trying to serve?” Lowe said. “We’re very plain in our approach to people: ‘I don’t know you, you don’t know me—let’s get to know one another.’”
That philosophy reflects one of the defining characteristics of effective CBOs: their strategies are shaped by lived experience, not assumptions.
Lowe emphasizes that communities should define success for themselves. “Our mission is to make sure that you’re able to live, strive, and thrive in a healthy, whole, safe community,” she said. “But all of that has to be defined by you. It cannot be defined by us.”
That distinction matters. Programs built around local realities tend to see stronger engagement because they reflect how people actually live—not how institutions assume they live.
Closing Perspective
The energy-efficiency industry does not have a shortage of programs, funding or technology. What it often lacks is alignment.
Without trust, even the most well-designed programs struggle to gain traction. Without community insight, investments risk solving the wrong problems. And without a workforce that reflects the communities being served, adoption will always lag behind intent.
CBOs address all three: they bring trust into the conversation, ground decisions in real-world conditions and help ensure that solutions are not just delivered but accepted and sustained. If the goal is to improve performance at scale, the path forward is not just more investment; it is better alignment with the communities those investments are meant to serve.
References:
- Public Input
- American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
