CCLEP was established in 2008 to increase awareness of climate change and promote the use of renewable energy in Cook County. According to the CCLEP website, the mission of the group was "to empower residents, businesses, and government through collaboration & education increasing sustainable energy practices." Over the years, the organization's vision was to make Cook County a "rural role model for net zero energy" while advocating for the sovereignty of Indigenous nations. In 2018, CCLEP worked with the City of Grand Marais to form a Climate Action Plan (CAP), in which the goal was to "reduce the city’s existing carbon emissions while improving energy efficiency." 

The decision to close the organization came after a two-year period of fundraising difficulty, following the departure of former Executive Director Kat Meyo in early 2024. CCLEP Board President and Interim Executive Director Chris O’Brien told Boreal Community Media that the board spent the past two years attempting to raise funding to hire a coordinator or executive director but was unsuccessful in doing so. "It was a hard decision," he said regarding CCLEP's dissolution, adding that "we could not sustain the organization with board volunteers alone."

As part of the dissolution, some of CCLEP's community programming will transition to CCHE. According to the board's announcement, CCHE will continue to host events such as the annual Builders' Workshop and the annual Clean Energy Tour. Regarding the resources on the CCLEP website, O’Brien said that the information currently found "will be preserved (not updated) as a link from Cook County Higher Education's website."

To celebrate the organization’s 18-year history, a public reception is scheduled for February 25 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Cook County Higher Education. According to the press release, the board is encouraging directors and "friends of CCLEP" to attend to share stories of the organization's impact and discuss future ideas for clean energy advocacy in the region.