We are thrilled to share that the California Climate & Energy Collaborative (CCEC) has honored TEC’s President and Executive Director, Craig Perkins, with the prestigious 2026 Lifetime Achievement in Climate Leadership Award.
Craig’s Commitment to California Clean Energy
As TEC’s fearless leader and as former City Manager for the City of Santa Monica, Craig has spent the last four decades helping to shape California’s changing energy future.
Craig began his career with the City of Santa Monica in 1983, where he led the development of California’s first Sustainable City Plan in 1994. Long before climate resilience became a mainstream priority, he helped establish Santa Monica as one of the nation’s leading sustainable cities.
Since joining TEC, Craig has expanded that local impact to the state level. As a key architect of SoCalREN, one of California’s first Regional Energy Networks, he helped create a model that empowers local and disadvantaged communities to lead their own clean energy transitions. Today, regional energy networks based on SoCalREN’s model serve 48 counties and more than 37 million Californians.
Beyond his professional work, Craig dedicates his expertise to advancing sustainability and climate resilience across California. He serves as the Mayor’s Appointee to the City of Los Angeles Stormwater Bond Oversight Committee and as a member of the SCAG Global Land Use and Economics Advisory Council. He also serves on the boards and executive committees of Heal the Bay and The Bay Foundation, is a Leadership Council member of the Los Angeles Regional Climate Collaborative, and supports innovation through the Microgrid Resources Coalition and Bay Area RAPID: Regional Climate Accelerator.
Craig’s leadership is defined by a simple conviction: the clean energy transition belongs to the people. He measures success through a dual lens—not just by the carbon we remove from the atmosphere, but by the tangible health, equity, and opportunity we return to every California community.
Congrats, Craig!
Next time you see Craig, give him a pat on the back and join us in celebrating a visionary leader whose passion, expertise, and commitment to equity continue to power a cleaner, more resilient California for all.
Want to learn more about our award-winning team? Learn more about who we are here.
