Six Top Professional Development Fellowships In Energy & Climate

Alumni Panel at the CELI emPOWER22 conference in Chicago in 2022

CELI

I have put together this list based on extensive research and my own experience as a fellow in several of these programs. These fellowships are designed for working professionals seeking to advance, job-seekers, and career pivoters. Most wrap up in under a year, making them a solid alternative if grad school is not in the cards right now. Whether you are just starting out or leading teams at the executive level, these part-time programs let you build expertise without putting your career on hold. Plus, you will join an alumni network valuable for landing new roles and making connections across the sector. The list progresses from early-career to senior- and executive-level programs. It is not uncommon to complete more than one of these fellowships over the course of a career, and several people I spoke with were able to compare their experiences across programs.

OnePointFive Academy (OPF Academy)

OPF Academy is a foundational fellowship in climate and sustainability, with a deep dive into Carbon Accounting and Life-Cycle Assessment. Its goal is to equip professionals with the green skills powering the fastest-growing jobs of 2025. OPF Academy combines flexible, asynchronous learning with live, hands-on training to build practical expertise in Net Zero target setting, transition planning, GHG accounting (Scopes 1, 2, and 3), and materiality assessment aligned with leading reporting standards. Participants also gain applied skills in carbon pricing mechanisms, decarbonization planning, and navigating energy transition risks. Fellows join over a thousand alumni in 70 countries. The fellowship include access to 18 hours of foundational curriculum, 10 expert-led live sessions, and 30+ hours of on-demand insights from industry leaders.

Graduates of the OPFA fellowship describe the program as both practical and transformative. “Even as I begin this new position, I’m already applying the knowledge I gained during the program,” said Christopher Buccola, 2025 OPF Academy graduate. “The slides, notes, and presentations continue to be a valuable resource, both for refreshing my memory and serving as examples in real-world scenarios. OPFA not only gave me the skills and confidence I needed but also equipped me with tools that will support my growth for years to come.”

Rohan Bansal, 2024 OPF Academy graduate, echoed that sentiment, noting that the fellowship gave him the confidence to guide teams through the complexities of sustainability work: “I now feel confident in leading teams through the intricacies of sustainability projects, from setting clear goals to managing implementation and adapting strategies as needed.”

For Tanvi R. Sule, also a 2024 graduate, the program’s lasting value lies in its breadth and community. “The program’s emphasis on holistic learning, practical applications, and collaboration with diverse stakeholders has prepared me to tackle complex sustainability challenges effectively. The supportive community and access to industry experts have been particularly beneficial, providing insights and inspiration that have shaped my vision for the future.”

ClimateBase Fellowship

The Climatebase Fellowship has become a recognized training ground for professionals seeking to move into or advance within the climate sector. Originally built around a community platform for climate jobs and networking, it has evolved into a structured 12-week online program. Climatebase was co-founded in 2020 by Justin Hardin and Jesse Hynes, who were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2025.

Each cohort includes a mix of early- and mid-career professionals. The curriculum covers clean energy, carbon markets, sustainable agriculture, and corporate decarbonization. Fellows spend about seven hours per week in live sessions and project work, with recordings available for flexible participation. Graduates join a network of more than 800 alumni across 60 countries. The fellowship charges tuition but offers financial aid.

Compared with more technical programs such as the OnePointFive Academy, which emphasizes corporate sustainability and reporting frameworks, Climatebase offers broader exposure to the climate-tech landscape. It often serves as a bridge for people shifting from adjacent industries into climate-related work.

Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) Fellowship

The Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) began as an informal evening gathering of friends who invited speakers to discuss clean energy topics that sparked their curiosity. What started as small conversations in corporate offices soon evolved into a formal community and, shortly thereafter, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Today, CELI has more than a thousand alumni working across government, industry, finance, and advocacy. The fellowship emphasizes energy justice and broad participation, offering a sliding-scale tuition model to ensure accessibility for professionals from a wide range of socioeconomic and sectoral backgrounds. Its mission remains rooted in cultivating inclusive leadership for the clean energy transition.

The fellowship offers both in-person and fully remote cohorts, with flagship programs based in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City. Each cohort combines weekly seminars, leadership development workshops, and community events designed to build cross-sector fluency. One of CELI’s best-kept secrets is its vibrant alumni presence at major energy gatherings such as CERAWeek, RE+, and Climate Week, where informal meetups have become tradition. Even fellows who complete the online program often find themselves bumping into a “CELIon” (pronounced SEELION) wherever the clean energy community gathers.

The CELI fellowship is geared toward professionals with at least three years of experience in the clean energy sector, though many fellows have seven or more years of experience. Cohorts are carefully selected by fellowship alumni to ensure a balance of perspectives across sectors and socioeconomic backgrounds.

“One key difference between the programs is their approach to curriculum. Climatebase focuses on providing foundational sector knowledge for newcomers, and its cohort tends to consist of job seekers. CELI emphasizes a more holistic understanding of the energy landscape across technology, finance, and policy, and typically requires prior industry experience,” noted Supratim Das, a 2021 CELI and Climatebase fellow, Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy (2023), Forbes Energy All-Star Alumni (2024), and Director of Commercial Finance at Electric Hydrogen.

BatteryMBA

Despite its name, BatteryMBA is not a traditional MBA program but a specialized course focused on the business of batteries. Delivered entirely online, the 12-week program combines live weekly sessions, recorded lectures, and office hours, giving participants flexible access from anywhere in the world. Graduates also gain ongoing access to materials from past and future cohorts, creating a platform for continuous learning and networking across the global battery community.

Simon Engelke, Founder and Chair of Battery Associates, shared: “The idea behind BatteryMBA has always been simple: to help people keep pace with the rapid changes in the battery industry and make better decisions as a result. What I didn’t expect was how inspiring it would be to watch more than 800 alumni from over 60 countries grow, collaborate, and lead across the sector.”

The program’s alumni range from those just starting out in the field to others holding PhDs in chemistry, underscoring that there are always new ways to learn.

Nicolina Nanni (2022 alumna) said: “The BatteryMBA was one of the best learning opportunities I could have wished for when entering the battery industry, and I will remain grateful for it throughout my career. Meeting people from every part of the industry is simply not something you have access to elsewhere; I was able to learn from manufacturers, chemists, and people on the policy side.”

Manar, who completed the program in 2025, added: “As someone who already has a PhD in battery materials, I thought I knew the field well, but this program completely updated my knowledge with the latest market insights, industry trends, and real-world applications I had never encountered in academia.”

The Energy Generation Leadership Program (EnGen) by The Energy Leadership Institute

The Energy Generation Leadership Program (EnGen) brings together a diverse mix of energy professionals, bridging the conventional and renewable sectors through a hybrid format that combines monthly virtual sessions with quarterly in-person gatherings. Originally launched by the Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) in 2012, the program has grown from its regional roots into a national year-long curriculum. Over the course of a year, participants travel to four major U.S. energy hubs, immersing themselves in curated site visits, panels, and discussions designed to foster deep professional connections. The program’s structure resembles a highly tailored symposium, with a clear emphasis on the quality of speakers and the range of perspectives represented. Equally important is the strength of the cohort itself; participants are accomplished professionals who could easily be leading the sessions, creating a dynamic peer-learning environment that makes the experience both engaging and rare.

Fellows also noted how the program helps build lasting professional networks. “The ongoing networking and support from my EnGen cohort has been one of the best parts of the experience; it truly is the gift that keeps on giving. While my energy network is limited in my day-to-day work, the EnGen program opened up several areas of the energy industry for me. Being able to reach out to a petroleum engineer, renewable developer, energy policy expert, financier, or sustainability professional has been invaluable. I’ve made liberal use of the ‘phone-a-friend’ opportunities within my EnGen cohort whenever I have questions outside my area of expertise,” said David Rodziewicz, alumnus of both NREL Energy Execs (2021) and EnGen (2023) cohorts.

Spanning the nation’s top innovation and policy hubs, the EnGen fellowship immerses participants in a wide range of learning environments and perspectives. “Every EnGen seminar across the U.S. was such a unique experience with its own memories, whether you’re diving deep into entrepreneurship at Stanford, engaging with cutting-edge researchers across multiple Denver institutions from the School of Mines to CU Denver to NREL, studying energy security at Rice University’s Baker Institute, spending time across D.C. with policy leaders, or doing even more between sessions through the network!” recalled Bradley Grams, 2025 EnGen Fellow and Environmental Program Manager at the Federal Aviation Administration. Bradley also completed the CELI Fellowship in 2021 and was involved in curriculum development for subsequent cohorts.

NREL’s Executive Energy Leadership Academy (Energy Execs)

Curated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Energy Execs program consists of four multiday, in-person sessions held from June through September at NREL’s South Table Mountain campus in Golden, Colorado. It offers senior-level professionals from government, corporate, nonprofit and community organizations a deep dive into energy technologies, analytical tools and NREL research portfolios. While there is no participant fee for the program, accepted fellows are responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses for the in-person sessions.

“The Energy Execs program provided an opportunity to discuss cutting-edge technology directly with the scientists developing it, as well as to collaborate on solutions for real-world problems. As a group, we toured various labs and discussed ongoing projects with the inventors and researchers. One project that stuck with me involved the development of self-generating silicon, which could be formed into any desired shape or thickness without waste — the concept was reminiscent of a sourdough starter that regenerates itself,” said Gary “Bernie” Bernfeld, Energy Execs 2014 fellow and then Chair of the City of Austin Electric Utility Commission.

The benefits of the Energy Execs fellowship extended well beyond the completion of the program. “It’s been wonderful over the past several years to have ongoing access to researchers at the lab, which makes it easy to follow up and ask questions of some truly world-class experts. That is pretty special. On the networking side, I’ve appreciated the NREL Execs team’s continued effort to stay connected with alumni and to host regular alumni events. The long history of the NREL Execs program—now approaching 20 years—also means it has a wide-ranging alumni network, which is a great group to be part of,” shared David Rodziewicz, alumnus of both Energy Execs (2021) and EnGen (2023) cohorts.