Today (Dec 7), Dr. Susan Hamm, director of Integrated Strategies for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced that all ten coalitions participating in the Community Clean Energy Coalition (CCEC) Prize successfully completed the challenge and were awarded $25k in the last stage of the competition to support the implementation of their community energy projects, bringing their total award to $205k each. The top three coalitions were awarded additional prize bonuses ranging from $10k to $50k for the strength of their projects and vision for the future. Hamm made the announcement from the CCEC Prize Summit at the Atlanta University Center, a consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The goal of the prize has been to recognize and assist coalitions supporting underrepresented communities with $2.1M to build capacity and address local energy challenges with clean, renewable solutions in line with the Justice40 Initiative.
"Every community has opportunities and challenges unique to their location, available resources, and energy needs," said Hamm. "This prize helps communities develop plans and projects to address their specific needs and unlock the economic and environmental benefits of a clean energy transition."
Through the three phases of the prize, competing teams formed community coalitions, developed plans for clean energy projects, and then began to implement those plans. Projects included building retrofits in West Atlanta, a clean energy job pipeline for minority women in Montana, and solar installations in a senior living community in Puerto Rico, among many others.
To conclude the final phase of this prize, all ten teams were invited to present at the CCEC Summit, sharing their coalition's mission and demonstrating the progress made on their initiatives. The Atlanta University Center, where three HBCUs share facilities, provided a robust, centralized location for the winning coalitions to network and partner with philanthropic organizations, entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and more.
The CCEC prize is just one of many prizes and competitions offered at EERE, including the new Community Energy Innovation Prize, with applications open until February 2, 2024. The DOE is always looking for more innovators ready to help transition our economy to clean energy. Join us in a challenge that interests you, and benefit from the nationwide expertise and resources of the American-Made Network, available to help you and other competitors achieve success.
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