The Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC) invites interdisciplinary teams of postsecondary, undergraduate, and graduate students from a variety of academic programs to solve real-world marine energy challenges across coastal, maritime, and offshore markets. Through the competition, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) seeks to inspire students to innovate in and accelerate the emerging marine energy industry.

The competition enables students to network with marine energy professionals, explore marine energy career pathways, develop professional skills, and gain insight into how marine energy can contribute to a reliable and affordable energy future.

Launched in 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office’s (WPTO’s) Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC) invites interdisciplinary teams of postsecondary, undergraduate, and graduate students from a variety of academic programs to solve complex hydropower challenges. Through the competition, WPTO intends to offer students direct industry experience, valuable exposure to hydropower career pathways, and greater knowledge of hydropower’s potential to contribute to a reliable and affordable energy future.

The primary theme of the competition is innovations in hydropower, specifically, (1) the conversion of non-powered dams (NPDs) to hydroelectric dams, (2) the addition of pumped storage hydropower (PSH) to existing hydropower reservoirs, and (3) in-conduit hydropower. Through the HCC, competing teams can either advance existing technology or develop new technologies.

The Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize is a two-phase competition funded by DOE’s Office of Electricity and will foster the development of next-generation energy- storage-enabled solutions, paving the way for an efficient and affordable energy future. The prize offers a total prize pool of $3.4M in cash prizes and $800,000 in vouchers to be used at a DOE national laboratory across two phases with two separate tracks. Behind-the-meter storage is a powerful mechanism to lower costs for consumers, delivering documented annual savings for households, reducing demand charges for commercial entities, and improving net present value for system owners.

The Electrode Code seeks innovative solutions that keep magmeter electrodes clean, accurate, and dependable for longer. Success means extending the meter’s effective lifespan, reducing cleaning frequency, and maintaining the precision that industries rely on, even in the harshest environments. Winning solvers will share in a $30,000 prize pool and may earn the opportunity to collaborate directly with Emerson’s global R&D and manufacturing teams to bring their ideas from concept to commercial reality. By addressing this challenge, you’ll help shape the next generation of flow measurement , one that keeps industry moving without pause.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) is excited for the 2025 Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Startup Pitch Competition Prize program. This startup pitch competition program aims to infuse capital directly into groundbreaking startups nominated by previous EPIC Prize incubators. Through the EPIC Pitch Competition program, DOE seeks to fund organizations that are developing innovative energy hardware technologies. A minimum of two national pitch competitions for energy-related startups will be hosted in 2025, with more specific details to come early in the year.

The ITV program is funded by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). EERE works to strengthen America’s industrial sector and advance global competitiveness of U.S. industry by funding research, development, and early-stage demonstration (RD&D) of efficient, secure, and cost-effective industrial technologies. EERE funds both sector-specific technology solutions—with a focus on helping the most energy-intensive industries overcome barriers and benefit from the latest in technology innovation and strategic analysis—and cross-cutting technologies across the industrial sector. EERE also provides tailored technical assistance programs to leverage energy efficiency measures and help manufacturers save money and streamline operations.

Enel Grids, a world leader in power distribution, is currently focused on improving the reliability and quality of the Group’s grids and is looking for innovative solutions for the rapid undergrounding of overhead power lines in order to reduce the costs and time required for this important activity. If you have a cutting-edge solution, consider taking part in this challenge to win $10,000 and a chance to contribute to improving the reliability and efficiency of Enel’s MV and LV distribution systems

When a reservoir conduit cannot be closed, thousands of cubic feet of water can roar through uncontrolled, threatening public safety, irreplaceable reservoir storage, and power generation. Seal Team Fix invites engineers, fabricators, and creative problem-solvers to stop that torrent in its tracks. Your mission: design a rapid-deploying, temporary seal that can be deployed to a submerged 3- to 25-ft diameter conduit opening, accommodate differential pressure, and achieve a 95–98 % flow reduction – without leaning on trash racks or other non-structural surfaces.

The U.S. Department of Energy AlgaePrize 2025–2027

The AlgaePrize 2025–2027 Competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), supported by the Algae Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and part of DOE’s American-Made Challenges, challenges students to develop novel solutions to production, processing, and new product development, which will help lower the costs of producing algal biofuels and bioproducts. Apply by November 3rd.