Tomorrow students can learn how going green could possibly help them take home some green.
The Clean Energy Trust created the Clean Energy Challengeand the United States Department of Energy will sponsor the first annual National Clean Energy Student Challenge.
The goal of the competition is to increase the number of successful clean energy businesses in the Midwest and to give start-ups and support to entrepreneurs, said Suzanne Stelmasek, the policy analyst for the Clean Energy Trust.
“Several Ohio University student-led businesses have recently received funding from state-assisted programs, and this new federally-funded program is a wonderful complement to existing support networks,” said Faith Knutsen, the associate director for operations of TechGROWTH Ohio and the manager of graduate assistants for the Voinovich School Business Advisory team.
Entrants will first participate in a statewide competition in December. Finalists will then travel to Chicago for a national finalists competition where the top contenders will compete for the second and first-place prizes of $5,000 and $100,000.
The winner will also gain entry into the Washington, DC-based DOE National Grand Prize competition, which will take place next summer.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced funds worth $2 million for the next three to six years in the hopes of creating a group of student entrepreneurs focused on clean energy technology and supporting events such as the Clean Energy Challenge.
“Federal encouragement of student entrepreneurship is a wonderful enabling force in these difficult economic times,” said Scott Miller, director of Energy and Environmental Programs at Ohio University’s Voinovich School. “The Voinovich School is delighted to offer our no-cost business advisory services to students seeking assistance with their competition entry.”
The information meeting today will begin at 3 p.m. in the Amanda J. Cunningham Leadership Room on the third floor of Baker Center. Applications will be accepted between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5.
“It is just a great opportunity for students here on campus, and I encourage anyone who is remotely interested to come to the meeting,” said Phyllis Bohning, the event’s coordinator. “It would be so great if one of the winners was from Ohio University.”
