advancing energy abundance, market-driven innovation, and practical solutions.
The United States stands at an inflection point. Global competitors are racing to dominate the next generation of energy technologies — and the question isn’t whether America will compete, but whether conservative voices will shape how we do it. The Center’s policy partner network represents an emerging coalition of center-right and bipartisan organizations doing exactly that: advancing energy abundance, market-driven innovation, and practical solutions that don’t sacrifice American competitiveness on the altar of ideology.
Recent Highlights
Achieving new disaster resilience policy in the annual bipartisan Pentagon authorization, and protecting critical federal climate and disaster-response programs at NOAA and FEMA through continued bipartisan engagement on Capitol Hill focused on national security and climate risks.
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Securing decarbonization policy wins in Florida, Texas, and Utah, including bipartisan permitting reform in Utah that cuts some critical permitting timelines from six months to two weeks; and defending Texas’ competitive electricity market, the nation’s renewables superpower.
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Reaching over 2,500 policy makers through 1,400+ events in 92 countries, helping leaders understand data-driven climate impacts, for example, a new Temperature Change by Location map, which uses MIT-developed AI to show regional warming projections in seconds instead of weeks -- and then test strategies that drive real-world emissions reductions.
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Saving gigawatt-scale clean-energy financing from elimination, including $1 Billion for the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office credit subsidies, which enable higher-risk clean energy, storage, and transmission projects to access project financing they likely would struggle to secure in private markets.
Extending federal tax credits for nuclear, geothermal, hydropower, and battery storage into the mid-2030s, enabling many clean-energy projects that would have stalled or disappeared to move forward.
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Advancing three national energy permitting initiatives out of the U.S. House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis, a step toward making federal permit reviews more transparent to meet America’s AI-driven rising energy and infrastructure needs.
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The Center for Climate and Security brings a national security lens to energy and resource risk — a perspective that resonates strongly with center-right audiences, veterans, and defense-minded Members and staff. The Center conducts rigorous, solutions-oriented research on how energy instability and resource pressures affect U.S. strategic interests globally, making the pragmatic case that American strength abroad depends on a resilient, diversified energy base at home.
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DEPLOY/US is the connective tissue of the center-right energy field — the only national nonprofit explicitly built to scale conservative energy leadership across the constituencies that matter most to Republican members: military, business, faith communities, farmers, anglers, hunters, and youth. For conservatives who understand that energy security is national security, and that stewardship of land and water is a traditional conservative value, DEPLOY/US is building the infrastructure to translate those beliefs into durable policy wins.
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Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES Forum) is the flagship conservative voice for clean energy on Capitol Hill. Through coalition-building, research, and strategic communications, CRES educates policymakers and the public on responsible energy solutions — the kind that keep the lights on, hold down costs, and reduce emissions without heavy-handed government mandates. CRES has long understood that the right can and should lead on energy, not cede the field.
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ClearPath works to accelerate American energy innovation — particularly in advanced nuclear, natural gas with carbon capture, hydropower, and grid-scale storage — with an explicit commitment to markets over mandates and innovation over regulation. Its core thesis: the path to affordable, abundant, and cleaner energy runs through American ingenuity, not Washington prescription.
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The Climate Solutions Foundation focuses on building the bipartisan congressional relationships necessary to actually move legislation. By convening Members of Congress, their staff, and global and corporate leaders around shared energy policy challenges, the Foundation sustains the House and Senate Climate Solutions Caucuses — the institutional homes for members who want to advance practical, all-of-the-above energy policy without partisan warfare.
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Climate Interactive provides the data infrastructure for informed policymaking — politically neutral, highly accurate modeling tools that help decision-makers cut through ideological noise and understand the real-world tradeoffs of energy decisions. For conservatives frustrated by alarmism and preferring rigorous analysis over advocacy, Climate Interactive’s tools offer a credible, nonpartisan foundation for evidence-based policymaking.
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republicEn speaks to conservatives in the language of conservatism. Built around the “En” of energy, entrepreneurship, and environment, republicEn mobilizes center-right Americans around the conviction that free enterprise — not federal command-and-control — holds the key to the nation’s energy challenges. It provides intellectual and political grounding for conservatives who want to lead on energy without abandoning their principles.
Our Partners
Our partners represent a new operating consensus: that American energy leadership, economic prosperity, and responsible stewardship of natural resources are not in conflict — they are mutually reinforcing. These organizations share a commitment to innovation over regulation, markets over mandates, and bipartisan pragmatism over ideological purity. Together, they are building the center-right policy infrastructure needed to ensure that the United States leads the next energy era rather than watches from the sidelines.
Testimonials
“Your initiative is unique in understanding the importance of sustained support for right-of-center outreach on climate. Too many come and go, not realizing that durable support is the only viable path to durable policy and durable solutions.”
“Your initiative understands that only through bipartisan collaboration can we achieve durable energy and climate policy that advances American prosperity and protects the environment. The organization’s support for groups working on conservative solutions that encourage bipartisan dialogue has been particularly impactful.”
Our Team
Tighe Brown
Tighe brings extensive leadership experience across youth development, nutrition, and the nonprofit sector, with a focus on building practical, results-driven programs that strengthen communities. As President and a founding team member of the national nonprofit Big Green, she played a key role in scaling the organization, developing strong public-private partnerships, and expanding initiatives that deliver measurable impact at the local level.
She is recognized for her disciplined leadership, operational focus, and ability to bring together diverse stakeholders to advance shared goals. Tighe earned a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, where she served as captain of the Division I lacrosse team—an experience that continues to shape her commitment to teamwork, accountability, and performance.
President
Alex Vilgertshofer
Alex brings extensive experience in creative design and strategic development, with a strong track record of delivering results for leading global brands. Over the course of his career, he has partnered with companies such as Nike, Samsung, Monster Energy, Honda, Subway, Starbucks, Disney, Skechers, Duracell, and Vans—developing practical, high-impact solutions that align brand vision with measurable performance.
His work is grounded in the belief that thoughtful design and disciplined execution can solve complex challenges, drive growth, and strengthen connections with customers. Alex brings a pragmatic and solutions-oriented perspective, focusing on opportunities that support innovation, responsible resource use, and long-term value creation.
He earned a B.A. in Advertising from California State University, Fullerton, where he built a foundation in strategic communication, brand development, and market-driven thinking.
Strategist
Mack Smith
Mack Smith works at the intersection of law, policy, and strategic communications, with a particular interest in energy, infrastructure, and long-term institutional strategy. His background includes legal and policy-oriented work spanning public affairs, government, and issue advocacy, with a focus on how effective messaging and durable institutions can shape public outcomes.
He advises on initiatives related to domestic energy, permitting reform, and public policy strategy, and is especially interested in efforts that strengthen American competitiveness, resilience, and long-term economic growth. His approach is grounded in the belief that durable progress comes from strong institutions, practical policy design, and private-sector innovation. Outside of work, he has a longstanding interest in history, strategy, and the institutional forces that shape public life.
Fellow
Luke brings two decades of experience as a foundation grantmaker, with significant focus on energy, natural resources, and long-term stewardship. He previously served as CEO of the David Rockefeller Fund, where he emphasized disciplined giving, measurable outcomes, and responsible management of philanthropic capital. He is also a former fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Philanthropy, contributing to research and thought leadership on effective, accountable giving.
Luke advises donors, private foundations, and leveraged initiatives that prioritize economic strength, domestic innovation, and responsible resource management. His work is grounded in the belief that durable solutions come from market-based approaches, strong institutions, and local leadership. Outside of his professional work, Luke is an avid skier and enjoys connecting his passion for the outdoors with efforts that promote conservation, access, and long-term land stewardship.
Senior Advisor
Lukas Haynes