The Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize is designed to encourage coalition-building in communities across the country that focus on creating quality jobs and fostering an equitable and inclusive workforce in clean energy sectors.
A Coalition Competition Structured for Success
The Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize encourages building new and newly focused placed-based coalitions to create quality, accessible jobs and training partnerships in their community. Each coalition is required to include, at a minimum, one coalition representative from each of the five key stakeholder groups below:
Labor organizations
Clean energy employers
Community-based organizations
Public agencies
Education and workforce providers
These competing coalitions will develop and implement Coalition Action Plans that improve the quality of and expand access to good jobs in clean energy.
Competitors participate in three prize phases designed to increase the long-term engagement of place-based coalitions to ensure that the clean energy jobs created nationwide are high quality and accessible to target populations. Coalitions must compete and win in Phase One of the prize to qualify to compete in Phase Two and Phase Three of the prize. Qualified coalitions will have the chance to win part of $3,375,000 prize pool to help them develop plans and accelerate the implementation of their solutions.
More than $3 Million in Prizes
The three-phase competition catalyzes coalition building to understand, plan, and improve job quality and job access within the clean energy economy for target populations.
The Three Phases
Phase One: Coalition Formation
Up to 15 winning coalitions / $50,000 cash prize each
Winning coalitions are selected for:
Identifying a clean energy employment opportunity and workforce challenge in a specific sector and target community, and
Displaying robust partnerships that include at least one organization from each of the five stakeholder types: labor organization, clean energy employer, community-based organization, public agency, and education and workforce provider.
Phase Two: Coalition Action Plan
Up to 10 winning coalitions / $100,000 each
Competing coalitions participate in a virtual U.S. Department of Energy-led training on High Road economic and workforce development strategies for clean energy and develop a robust Coalition Action Plan to create quality, accessible jobs, and training partnerships.
Phase Three: Implementation and Impact
Up to 10 winning coalitions. First place: $300,000 / Second place: $250,000 / Third place: $200,000 / Seven runner-up coalitions: $125,000
Competing coalitions implement their Phase Two Coalition Action Plans and participate in community-of-practice activities and quarterly check-ins with prize administrators.
What is a “Good Job”?
A “good job” is a job that:
Provides fair, transparent, and equitable pay that exceeds the local average wage for an industry
Delivers basic benefits (e.g., paid leave, health insurance, retirement/savings plan, access to affordable, reliable, and high-quality child care/long-term care for loved ones, and transportation)
Provides workers with an environment in which to have a collective voice
Helps the employee develop the skills and experiences necessary to advance along a career path
Provides predictable scheduling, and a safe, healthy, and accessible workplace devoid of hostility and harassment
Has employees properly classified with the limited use of independent contractors and temporary workers
Protects workers’ statutory right for a free and fair choice to join a union under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Good jobs are provided by management’s rigorous knowledge of these rights and other employment rights that protect against harassment, discrimination, and retaliation and their active attempt to avoid any violations of the NLRA and other labor and employment laws; such as worker intimidation or harassment, or unwarranted delay in negotiations or grievance resolution. Source: About Community Benefits Plans
Questions?
Review the official rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing
Hit 'Follow' at the top of this page to automatically receive email updates on the prize
Review the 'Forum' tab for posted questions and answers. If you have a new question about the prize, please post your question to the Forum and a prize administrator will respond
Please review the official rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.
If you would like to receive updates on the prize, please ‘Follow’ the competition at the top of this HeroX page. If you have questions about the competition, you can email the prize administrators at .
The American-Made Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize is a multimillion-dollar prize competition designed to equip coalitions with tools to ensure that clean energy programs and investments result in good jobs and greater access for target populations. The American-Made Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize is directed and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy 's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Learn more.
The deadline to submit your Phase 1 application is fast approaching—Jan. 31, 2025—just two weeks away!
Now is the time to finalize your clean energy jobs coalitions and submit your applications. This is your opportunity to compete for up to $50,000 in Phase 1 funding and a chance at winning a piece of the $2.6 million prize pool in Phases 2 and 3! Best of all, you’ll be playing a role in bringing good jobs to your community!
Happy New Year Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize Followers! Now is the time to get serious in forming your clean energy jobs coalitions to compete for the $3.375 million Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize.
The deadline to submit your Phase 1 application is Jan. 31, 2025, just 3 weeks away! During Phase 1 of the Competition, up to 15 teams will be awarded $50,000 each and will then have the opportunity to compete for an additional $2.6 million in Phases 2 and 3!
As you begin finalizing your prize submission materials, be sure to watch the Prize Informational Webinar recording and review the Official Prize Rules to better understand the prize goals, submission requirements, and judging criteria.
Successful submission packages for the Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize will include the following:
Formation of a minimum 5-member coalition – see the prize rules for specific coalition requirements
Evidence of Commitment letters from each coalition member organization
External stakeholder letters of support (optional)
Summary slide
Looking for help and guidance with your submission? Join one of the upcoming Power Connector prize activities below! These organizations can help answer questions and provide guidance as you complete your submission. Join one or all of the events to help you prepare your submission!
Upcoming Power Connector Prize Support Activities:
Friday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. ET - CEBN Group Office Hours - Register Here
Thursday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET – EFN Group Office Hours - Register Here
Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET - EFN Group Office Hours - Register Here
Thursday, Jan 23 at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET - EFN Group Office Hours - Register Here
Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET - EFN Group Office Hours - Register Here
Have a question you are not seeing addressed in the informational webinar or prize rules? You can review answered questions and/or submit new questions to the Prize Forum here: https://www.herox.com/GoodJobsPrize/forum
Want to learn more about American-Made Program Prizes and Challenges and what makes a prize different than a government grant? Click HERE.
We can’t wait to see your submissions and see what creative #GoodJob ideas you have for your community!
The #GoodJobs Prize Power Connectors have two exciting events coming up that you won't want to miss! One tomorrow!
Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize Office Hours hosted by EFN - Oct. 22!
Tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. ET, join the EFN Power Connector team for their first in a series of Office Hours that will provide guidance on building coalitions and applying to the Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize. Sign up here.
Coalition Building for a Clean Energy Workforce hosted by CEBN - Oct. 28!
Join the CEBN Power Connector Team on Oct. 28 from 2 – 3 p.m. ET for an expert panel featuring the BlueGreen Alliance (BGA) and Business Leaders United (BLU). They'll discuss strategies for forming robust clean energy workforce coalitions, followed by an opportunity for networking, questions, and an idea exchange. Register here.
We hope to see you there! These events are a great opportunity to learn about the prize and connect with other prize candidates.
In case you missed the informational webinar on Oct. 3, or need a refresher on the information shared, the recording, and slides are now available on HeroX!
During the webinar, prize administrators shared key background on the prize, discussed the prize goals, and reviewed the eligibility and submission requirements for the $3.375 million prize!
Questions submitted to the Q&A during the webinar are in the process of being addressed. Answers to these questions will be posted as a “Q&A Document” in the Resources tab on HeroX shortly.
Next steps:
If you are interested in competing in the prize, please read the Official Prize Rules
To receive updates on the prize, click Follow on HeroX, then click “Solve this Prize” to start building your coalition!
Register to join the October 28 CEBN Coalition Building for a Clean Energy Workforce Webinar
Register for a series of EFN Group Office Hours to help your coalition apply for the prize!
Check the Resource tab on HeroX for updates to the prize Q&A Document
Start preparing your submission and share additional questions in the Forum for answers from the prize team!
We look forward to reviewing your submissions by Jan 31, 2025 at 5 p.m. ET!
The Official Prize Rules have been updated and now include additional information on Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Prize! You can access the updated rules here and on the 'resources' tab of the prize page.
The webinar will provide an overview of the Prize and Prize Rules - specifically for Phase 1. Prize Administrators will share background on the prize and review other key information on eligibility, submission elements, scoring, and prize application deadlines.
Join to learn more about the Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize!
Please also review specific Q&A on the Forum page of this prize. The Forum tab is also where you should post any new questions, not addressed in the Q&A or already a Forum topic.
Yes, but it’s quick and easy. Just click the “Solve this Challenge” button on this page and follow the instructions to complete your registration. All you need to provide is your name and email address.
There are benefits to registering as a team or an individual. We want to highlight that every American-Made Challenge has a section in the submission where you will list your team and team members, and we do not review the teams you build using the HeroX team function. Therefore, you can register and submit as a team or an individual, and it does affect the review of your submission.
Note - if you are competing in a prize with multiple phases, and if different people might submit at different phases for your team, we recommend building a team and submitting that way as you can swap the "captain" for your team, but keep the same team and permissions while just swapping the person who can actually submit the submission.
If you have a question not answered in the FAQ, we recommend that you post it in the Forum where someone will respond to you. This way, others who may have the same question will be able to see it.
Innovation is about making ideas happen. The American-Made Network will accelerate and sustain solar innovation through a diverse and powerful network that includes national laboratories, energy incubators, facilities, and other valuable industry partners from across the U.S. who will engage, connect, mentor, and boost the efforts of competitors.
Connectors are the core component of the American-Made Network and are organizations that seek to support the efforts of competitors. Use this link to explore the Network to find potential partners and develop relationships.
Power Connector organizations are a core group of Connectors that will work alongside NREL to implement parts of the program and secure additional resources and partners. Discover who they are and how they will help innovators succeed. https://americanmadechallenges.org/power_connectors
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the Prize Administrator for the American-Made Challenges. In this capacity NREL works closely with the U.S. Department of Energy to administer the challenges, maintain the website platform, assist in building the network, and pay prize money to the winning teams.
All of your files are uploaded as part of the submission form, access this by clicking the Begin Entry button. The submission form contains an upload option for each of the required file entries. Only PDF files will be accepted for upload.
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