PITCH: Presenting Impact Through Communities at Home

In June 2023, the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize hosted PITCH: Presenting Impact Through Communities at Home. The event marked the close of Phase Two and invited competitors and select prize supporters for two days of innovation, collaboration, and inspiration! Teams showcased their year-long efforts to advance an equitable and just clean energy ecosystem within their communities. Six winning teams were selected to receive $250,000 each to continue carrying out their plans:

Creative Collaborations Build Thriving Communities,
New York, New York

The Clean Energy Academy team expanded its workforce training program for disadvantaged communities, which serves as an on-ramp for professionals looking to enter or transition into the clean energy workforce and provides an upskilling opportunity for existing workers.

Data Miners of the Mountain, Phase Two
Utuado, Puerto Rico

Under the leadership of the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña, this team is working to accelerate microgrid deployment in rural and low-resourced communities. They are working to empower communities to take control of a clean energy future by installing rooftop solar and storage systems, starting with businesses and community service centers.

Empowering the Future Energy Workforce
Richland, Washington

Washington State University’s Tri-Cities team developed the Clean Energy Ambassadors Network, which aims to empower the future energy workforce by engaging and retaining students, particularly Hispanic/LatinX students. The team plans to continue this program and develop a “Clean Energy” certificate that will prepare students to join the next generation of clean energy leaders and thinkers.

Get Lit, Stay Lit
New Orleans, Louisiana

Feed the Second Line is working with neighborhood restaurants to install solar panels and batteries and create a resilient city-wide “Stay Lit” network. This team was inspired by Hurricane Ida, when New Orleans lost power for 10 days and restaurants were forced to throw away perishable food. This solution creates neighborhood food sites, cooling centers, and cell phone charging hubs, and empowers local businesses to become first-first responders.

Tebughna Sunshine
Anchorage, Alaska

The Tebughna Foundation serves the Dena’ina Athabascan tribal community of the Native Village of Tyonek. This project is using traditional principles of land stewardship for Alaska Native communities to create and identify technical assistance resources for renewable energy technologies and pilot a solar array at Tyonek’s tribal center. The team also plans to create an accessible handbook for deploying equitable clean energy in Alaska Native Villages.

Xcelerating Black Climate Startups in Portland
Portland, Oregon

The Northwest Xcelerator (NWX) Team collaborated with VertueLab and the Port of Portland to develop and build a culturally specific, non-extractive acceleration support ecosystem for climate innovators from Black and underserved communities. The team has also been working on a program to accelerate startup development and incubation, facilities for hands-on workforce training, and incubator and maker spaces.

Meet the teams who presented at PITCH!