TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize Results

Tribal College and University (TCU) Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize Results

The American-Made Tribal College and University (TCU) Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize is a $4.1 million competition to foster food sovereignty using innovative energy sources on TCU campuses. Student-led groups team up and plan, construct, and demonstrate their food and energy projects through the multiple phases of the prize.

Phase 1

Map of the United States with winning team locations

In Phase 1: Teaming, TCU students and faculty were tasked with forming a team and developing a project plan to grow food on TCU campuses using innovative energy systems. This phase of the prize is now complete, and 14 teams were named winners and each awarded $40,000 in cash prizes. Read the official winner announcement from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Phase 1 opened on Sept. 26, 2024, and closed on Dec. 20, 2024.

WINNERS OF PHASE 1: TEAMING

Tribal College and University (sorted alphabetically)	Location	Initiative
Blackfeet Community College	Browning, MT	Build a vertical wind turbine to provide energy to a garden and meat processing plant.
Cankdeska Cikana Community College	Fort Totten, ND	Test which renewable source—solar or wind power systems—performs most efficiently to maintain optimum greenhouse conditions.
College of the Muscogee Nation	Okmulgee, OK	Install solar panels to generate energy for a greenhouse and to pump water for irrigation. Store excess energy in batteries.
Diné College	Tsaile, AZ	Restore and retrofit existing greenhouses and equip them with solar panels. Also look into the use of agrivoltaics.
Iḷisaġvik College	Utqiagvik, AK	Harness solar energy in summer and wind energy in winter to power a greenhouse for medicinal and edible plants.
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College	L'Anse, MI	Create a closed-loop system for food production by powering a greenhouse with solar energy.
Lac Courte Oreilles University	Hayward, WI	Construct wind turbine and solar grazing systems at the TCU's extension farm to provide electricity and a reliable water supply.
Navajo Technical University	Crownpoint, NM	Build a solar-powered greenhouse with a drip irrigation system and rainwater harvesting.
Northwest Indian College	Bellingham, WA	Establish a solar powered greenhouse combined with agrivoltaics.
Oglala Lakota College	Kyle, SD	Integrate geothermal, solar, and wind production into a garden project to power both irrigation and a greenhouse.
San Carlos Apache	San Carlos, AZ	Grow a solar-powered community garden, including raised garden beds integrated with weatherized solar photovoltaic panels.
Sinte Gleska University	Mission, SD	Construct a solar-powered greenhouse to grow vital fruits and vegetables.
Stone Child College	Box Elder, MT	Build a hydroponic system to grow culturally important plants.
White Earth Tribal & Community College	Mahnomen, MN	Optimize a wind energy blade setup to power greenhouse gardening in winter.