In 2010, the members of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) opened the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE). In this first academic study of ECREEE, I use the diffusion theoretical framework to analyze the organization's founding, with a focus on the actors who created the organization. I find that three extra-regional states – Austria, Brazil, and Spain – are the key players behind the creation and support of ECREEE. The states supporting the organization all have self-identities as leaders in renewable energy as well as, in the case of Austria and Spain, long-term commitments to provide development aid to West Africa. Finally, a political entrepreneur with a long-term interest in sustainable energy and connections to the UN, private industry, and the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy, an NGO she founded, had a critical role in creating ECREEE. I summarize several initiatives before concluding with suggestions for further research on this topic, including using in-field research to learn more about the diffusion mechanisms and how African actors have shaped the institutions to meet goals that might differ from the extra-regional players.