Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize

Phase Two of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize is open only to Phase One awardees. It will start in May 2022 and remain open for 12 months. Finalists may submit narratives describing activities carried out and progress they have made toward the goals of the prize since the end of Phase One.

Up to six winning teams will be selected to receive a share of a $1.5 million cash prize pool to continue to carry out the activities they have successfully executed on as described in their impact plans.

In May 2022, DOE announced 18 Phase One winners of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, all of which are eligible to participate in the prize's Phase Two final event, PITCH: Presenting Impact Through Communities at Home. As part of Phase Two, the following teams were awarded the intermediary Regional Prize to attend PITCH and present on the activities described in their impact plans:

Accelerating the Impact of Diverse Entrepreneurs,
Washington, D.C.

The American Council on Renewable Energy will expand and grow their Accelerate Program, focused on emerging Black, Indigenous, and people of color leaders in the clean tech/renewable energy space, manage the C-suite mentorship program, and release a series of case studies to amplify and promote the best practices and lessons learned in building up diverse founders in the clean tech field.

Destination Decarbonization,
Fresno, California

With support from the California State Foundation and Fresno Foundation, the Water, Energy and Technology Center at California State University, Fresno, will create and manage a regionwide college-level program that matches students with climate- and energy-focused startups and provides technical assistance and advisory services to entrepreneurs and startups in underserved communities.

Clean Energy Restoration for Rural Alaska Villages,
Anchorage, Alaska

The Tebughna Foundation aims to create opportunities for Alaskan indigenous communities to develop clean and affordable energy resources based on traditional principles of land stewardship and will create a handbook for equitable clean energy deployment in Alaskan Native Villages.

Community Engagement for a Clean Energy Economy,
Bethesda, Maryland

Made up of two organizations, One Montgomery Green and Bethesda Green, the Wheaton Sustainable Innovation Zone Coalition team will work with the community to create an equitable and actionable carbon reduction roadmap, run entrepreneurship training programs, and facilitate community collaborations for clean energy transition initiatives.

Empowering the Future Energy Workforce,
Richland, Washington

Washington State University’s Tri-Cities team will develop new academic programs, research collaborations, and entrepreneurial activities in clean energy and climate innovation, including a research-based course with industry mentors and incubator integration aimed at engaging, retaining, and empowering Hispanic/LatinX students.

Feed the Second Line: Get Lit, Stay Lit,
New Orleans, Louisiana

Feed the Second Line will pilot solar-powered-plus-storage microgrid installations and an apprenticeship program to in local restaurants to serve as disaster relief hubs.

Increasing Participation of Disadvantaged Groups in Battery Research, Education & Workforce Development,
Atlanta, Georgia

NanoResearch will increase participation of disadvantaged groups in battery research, workforce development, and entrepreneurship for job and wealth creation; increase access for marginalized communities to secure more state and federal funding for battery storage growth, and electric vehicles.

Solar Utilization and Commercialization Coalition for Energy Efficiency Devices,
Edinburg, Texas

Team Helios is made up of a coalition of professionals, organizations, and academic institutions that support startups and entrepreneurs. As an organization, the United States Mexico Foundation for Science will work to bolster the solar manufacturing industry in Texas and support startups in the industry to build economic potential in the Rio Grande Valley.

Alabama Energy Transformation Initiative
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama and Energy Alabama will work together to provide education programs to expose, train, and recruit minority students into clean energy and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields through energy assessment trainings and field trips.

Clean Energy Academy
New York, New York

Soulful Synergy, LLC will expand its existing Clean Energy Academy workforce training program to recruit and train participants from disadvantaged communities at no cost and ultimately build a more diverse workforce that’s equipped to meet the challenges of the Justice40 Initiative.

Cracking the Code for Community-led Creativity
Utuado, Puerto Rico

Under the leadership of the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña, the Data Miners for the Mountains will develop a heat map of regions in Puerto Rico to show where energy resiliency projects can make the most impact; identify locations to collect high-resolution energy consumption data; empower rural, mountain villages in Puerto Rico to take control of a clean energy future by installing rooftop solar and storage systems, starting with businesses and community service centers.

Motor City to Solar City
Detroit, Michigan

The Green Door Initiative will mitigate energy insecurity, increase access to climate-smart job training and job placement/hiring for underrepresented residents (including returning citizens), and establish an environmental justice model that can be replicated in other communities and states.

Imani Green Works! Community Justice & Innovation
Chicago, Illinois

Dan Greenberger’s Team is a part of Imani Green Works—a coalition of nine organizations working to create a minority-owned, minority-managed company to provide clean energy workforce development programs for historically disenfranchised residents of Chicago’s Pullman Community and Washington Heights neighborhoods and conduct community workshops to foster grassroots innovation in climate smart projects.

Expanding Tribal Renewable Energy Zones
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Within the Native-led nonprofit, Native Sun Community Power Development, team Native Sun’s Reservation Energy Zone (REZ) Network will connect tribes seeking to share information, support, and opportunities; promote community electric vehicle charging, workforce training, and weatherization and rooftop solar panels; connect communities to investors and the federal government.

SEEEDing Knoxville’s Just Energy Ecosystem
Knoxville, Tennessee

The nonprofit Socially Equally Energy Efficient Development (SEEED Inc.) aims to design a community-driven just energy ecosystem, encourage distribution of clean energy benefits to the community and develop clean energy jobs training for disadvantaged youth.

Xcelerating Black Climate Startups in Portland
Portland, Oregon

The NWX Launch Team, in collaboration with NW Accelerator, VertueLab, and the Port of Portland, will carry out climate justice-related community building activities, work on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics workforce development, run an entrepreneur accelerator program consisting of startup development and incubation, design and develop facilities for hands-on workforce training, and provide incubator and maker spaces.