U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Five Teams Win Phase One of DOE Prize to Accelerate Equitable Clean Energy Solutions in Underserved Communities

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (Dec 4) announced five teams as CONCEPT Phase winners in the Collegiate Track of the American-Made Community Energy Innovation Prize. They were selected for their student-led activities that help ensure the benefits of clean energy are felt in local underserved communities.  

The Community Energy Innovation Prize, part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative, is designed to build trust, strengthen relationships and partnerships, and support underserved communities in their clean energy transitions. At the conclusion of the Collegiate Track's CONCEPT Phase, the five teams were awarded $15,000 each, via their associated academic institutions, and will also receive in-kind mentorship as they move on to the PROGRESS phase.  

"The Collegiate Track of the Community Energy Innovation Prize gives next-generation climate leaders the support they need to put their ideas to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition into action," said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "The prize also forges critically important connections between academic institutions and local community organizations. It's a win-win in so many ways."    

The Collegiate Track CONCEPT phase winners are:  

• American Institute of Chemical Engineering and Lamar University (Beaumont, TX) Researching the capabilities of converting landfill gas to renewable natural gas and implementing findings into university and underserved community-based curricula. 
• Greener CASA (Tyler, TX) Creating an academia-community partnership to bring free energy audits to underserved communities to promote energy efficiency. 
• GreenSynergy (Houston, TX) Integrating clean energy into education, utilizing solar panels, fuel cells, and other technologies to foster learning and sustainability. 
• Rural Stormwater Recovery Innovators (Cedar City, UT) Using smart stormwater mitigation strategies to protect community assets and produce and support cleaner water and clean energy. 

• Solar Decathlon at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA) Designing and building sustainable net-zero homes to address energy challenges, develop a green workforce, and train the next generation of sustainable professionals in Westside Atlanta. 

These teams will now use their cash prizes in the next phase to implement their planned community activities. Teams will report on their progress in March 2024, where winning teams will compete to receive $20,000 cash and additional mentorship services as a part of the PROGRESS Phase. Those teams will then move on to the IMPACT Phase and have a chance to present their impact at a final event in May 2024, where teams will compete for share of the GRAND PRIZE pool of up to $100,000. 

Follow the Community Energy Innovation Prize to learn more about the Collegiate Track teams' activities, as well as the progress of teams in the Clean Energy Ecosystem and Manufacturing Ecosystem Tracks.  

Learn more about prizes and competitions from DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.