DOE Begins Accepting Applications for 2023 Collegiate Wind Competition
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began accepting applications for the 2023 Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC). Managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on behalf of the DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), the CWC helps college students prepare for jobs in the wind and broader renewable energy workforce through real-world experience.
Meeting the Biden administration’s goals of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net-zero emission economy by 2050 will require continued growth in the U.S. wind energy industry. This growth requires qualified workers in manufacturing, construction, operation, and maintenance of wind turbines, as well as other support roles.
The CWC, which first launched in 2014, helps prepare the future wind energy workforce by inviting college students from a range of disciplines to represent their schools as they design, build, and test a prototype wind turbine; develop a site plan and cost-of-energy analysis for a wind farm; and conduct outreach with the wind energy industry, their local communities, and local media outlets.
“We need to be filling the pipeline for a wind energy workforce now, if we’re going to reach our clean energy and climate goals by 2035 and 2050,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman. “I’m eager to see the creative ideas that a diverse set of talented students can come up with as they learn from each other and from members of the wind industry in the 2023 Collegiate Wind Competition.”
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