DOE Announces Winners of 10th Annual Collegiate Wind Competition

BOULDER, COLORADO - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the winners of the 10th annual Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC). Kansas State University rose above 12 other competing teams to claim first place in this annual competition, which aims to prepare the future wind energy workforce through real-world technology, project development, and outreach experience.  

"By participating in the Collegiate Wind Competition, these students gained hands-on experience and built professional relationships that will help them join the nation's wind energy workforce," said Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alejandro Moreno. "Wind energy is already one of the fastest growing industries in the country, but we need many more workers for us to achieve our goals of a 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050. I congratulate the 2023 winning teams, and I look forward to seeing what these students do next in this space." 

 The 2023 Collegiate Wind Competition called on teams to develop solutions to the siting, development, and outreach challenges associated with fixed-bottom offshore wind energy projects. Over the course of the school year, participating teams designed and built prototypes of fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines, created offshore wind energy project development plans, collaborated with members of the wind energy industry and local media, and raised wind energy awareness in their communities.  

The competition culminated in a week-long final event at the University of Colorado Boulder's Balch Fieldhouse in Boulder, Colorado, where the 13 2023 finalist teams tested their prototype wind turbines and presented their work to panels of wind energy experts. Seven "learn-along" teams also attended the final event to network with members of the wind energy industry, learn strategies from the competing teams, and participate in one or more of the contests in a non-competitive way. 

The winning teams are: 

• Overall First Place: Kansas State University 
• Overall Second Place: The Pennsylvania State University
• Overall Third Place: University of Colorado Boulder 
• Turbine Design Contest: Johns Hopkins University 
• Turbine Testing Contest: Kansas State University 
• Project Development Contest: The Pennsylvania State University 
• Connection Creation Contest: The Pennsylvania State University 
• Bonus Siting Challenge: University of Colorado Boulder

Since 2014, the CWC has offered college students an opportunity to prepare for jobs in the wind and renewable energy industries through real-world wind energy technology, project development, and outreach experience.  

DOE is still accepting applications for the 2024 CWC. Interested teams should apply by June 15, 2023.  

The CWC is managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on behalf of DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office.  

Sign up for email alerts and never miss a CWC update. To find more opportunities for students to gain renewable energy experience while still in school, visit DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Student Competitions and Prizes page. For updates on DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office activities, subscribe to the Catch the Wind newsletter.