Criteria and Application Details

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants to the Michigan Clean Energy Leaders program should meet the following eligibility criteria:

• working in Michigan, living in Michigan, or currently relocating to Michigan.
• young professionals, within their first 15 years of a career in clean energy.
• Career experience or significant volunteer experience in clean energy (including work on energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles, grid and storage, and clean fuels). Experience working to advance the clean energy economy via leadership in business, technology, industry, government, policy advocacy, academia/research, and/or organizing is all welcome.
• Commitment to participation in two in-person retreats, monthly virtual programming, and collaborative work with their peers during and after the program. Participants can expect to commit 2-3 hours a month to MCEL outside of scheduled programming, pursuing learning and building relationships within our network. See Participant Commitment and Benefits for more details.
• Alignment with our mission to build a diverse, collaborative, and deeply connected community of clean energy professionals in Michigan.

Selection Criteria

In reviewing applications, we will be seeking to build a cohort that brings the following qualities:

• Leadership: We seek individuals who hold the potential to inspire others to deepen their impact in the clean energy sector. MCEL candidates should show an ability to lead initiatives, influence positive change, and/or mentor peers – whether as a part of paid work or volunteer commitments.
• Clean Energy Expertise: Applicants should possess a solid foundation in clean energy principles, research, technologies, projects, policies, and/or practices. In each cohort we aim to bring early- to mid-career professionals – ranging from those starting their careers to those with more than a decade of experience in clean energy — who believe they both have knowledge to offer and room to grow.
• Diverse Backgrounds, Industries, and Perspectives: MCEL participants should be motivated to advance our mission to build a network of clean energy professionals that is diverse, collaborative, and deeply connected. MCEL cohorts are designed to be diverse in identity and background, as well as bringing together participants from a variety of clean energy industries, sectors, and regions across Michigan. Participant selection will focus particularly on increasing representation of BIPOC leaders and women leaders in the field. 
• Commitment to Building a Clean Energy Career: MCEL is targeted towards individuals  pursuing a long-term career in clean energy in Michigan. We are seeking individuals who want to grow their skills and relationships as clean energy practitioners so they can better advance Michigan’s clean energy future. 
• Willingness to Build Community: We are looking for participants who are eager to engage with and contribute to the MCEL community. We seek candidates who are passionate about collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and supporting their MCEL peers, and who are open to asking for the help they need to achieve their clean energy goals. The ideal MCEL candidate is excited by the opportunity to build deep relationships with their cohort for the long-term, as well as past and future cohorts.

Application Details

The application for our 2025-2026 cohort is now closed. Applicants will hear from us in mid-May regarding their admission to the program.

Our next cohort is anticipated to launch in June 2026 and conclude early April 2027. Program dates and application details for our next cycle will be shared as soon as they are available. Sign up here to be notified about our 2026-2027 program.

There is no cost to apply and our application is designed to be brief and user-friendly.

Please reach out to mcel@mieibc.org with any questions about our application/selection process, our program requirements and calendar, accessibility needs, or any other topics. If you are interested in the program, we would love to address any concerns that would support you to apply.