An annual competition held since 2014, the CWC prepares students from colleges and universities across the United States for jobs in the wind energy industry by giving them real-world wind energy experience in subjects such as technical design and project management.
The CWC 2025 Phase 2 winners are:
The finalists were chosen from 35 Phase 1 winners based on their submissions in four areas: prototype wind turbine design, turbine testing, hypothetical offshore wind farm planning, and community/industry outreach.
Each winning team receives a cash prize of up to $15,000 per team and advances to Phase 3, where they will refine their wind turbine prototypes, present hypothetical wind farm sites, and illustrate their community outreach plans. Teams not selected can still participate in the competition as learn-along teams but won’t be eligible for any awards.
The final event in the competition will be held at the American Power Association's CLEANPOWER 2025 Conference and Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona, May 19-22, where final winners will be selected, including overall first-, second-, and third-place teams.
The CWC prepares students for careers in the growing wind energy sector. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's 2024 National Wind Energy Workforce Assessment, estimates show that the total number of workers in 2030 will be about 258,000, requiring the wind industry to train and hire up to 125,000 new workers to meet the demand. Through hands-on learning, the competition helps students gain the skills and experience needed to fill these critical roles.
The competition is funded by DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office and managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
