Renewable energy advocates waited many years for the emergence of a clean energy fund in Connecticut. Joel Gordes was active in its creation in the 1997/1998 deregulation legislation. He believes this Fund is vitally important to the state's and nation's future in that it has the potential to aid in reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy, a national security issue, and to mitigate global warming which is the economic and environmental challenge of our time. The fund had not lived up to its potential for many renewable energy advocates, but because the fund has become the only source of funding they have not been in a position to criticize it for its shortcomings due to fear of retribution. After the dismissal of the Fund's Chief Technology Officer in May 2004, Gordes took the unprecedented step to "fire" the fund as a client and seek reforms for accountability to ratepayers and renewable energy businesses/advocates.

His specific reasons for pursuing legislation to place the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) under greater scrutiny were that operations under Connecticut Innovations Inc. (CII), the parent organization, provided unacceptable levels of knowledge, skills, experience, results and accountability necessary to operate and grow this fund in a meaningful manner. Others in the media had questions not only on its competence but also legal and ethical conduct of some operations and projects.He noted at the time of  the legislation's introduction that:

• The Fund has been in operation for seven years

One area in which the fund excelled has been in its ability to market itself. The campaign to the public has been "That was then; this is now" in an effort to distance itself from past actions and grievous mistakes. Unfortunately the "now" continued to include numerous ill-advised actions undertaken by the current Fund management.

For this reason, this "accountability  project" was undertaken. Assistant Majority Leader George M. Wilber, a  State Representative who had a constituent with a serious problem with the Fund, was sympathetic to the need for changes and championed a bill to make reforms. His frank and honest testimony was instrumental in passage of the bill. Gordes provided detailed testimony but many of the small solar businesses and environmental advocates were asked to testify against the bill. Although some secretly supported the changes, because the Fund held all the money these allies were unable to openly support the reforms. The Clean Energy Fund attempted a rebuttal of Gordes' facts but were met with a detailed, convincing point-by-point response. After several compromises and having had an incredible journey through seven committees, the bill passed the House 148-0 and the Senate 36-0 to become Public Act 07-152 which may bring about the hoped for reforms. It was signed into law on July 3, 2007 by Governor M. Jodi Rell.