Marine energy—power generated from ocean waves, currents, tides, and temperature gradients—is one of the world’s largest untapped energy resources. Continued innovation is needed to optimize marine energy device designs and reduce costs to enable broader deployment.
The Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC) invites interdisciplinary teams of postsecondary, undergraduate, and graduate students from a variety of academic programs to solve real-world marine energy challenges across coastal, maritime, and offshore markets. Through the competition, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) seeks to inspire students to innovate in and accelerate the emerging marine energy industry.
The competition enables students to network with marine energy professionals, explore marine energy career pathways, develop professional skills, and gain insight into how marine energy can contribute to a reliable and affordable energy future.
Guidelines
Competitors will identify a promising market within the ocean economy. Students will then determine the best marine energy application within that market to address.
Teams may consist of a combination of undergraduate and graduate students but must be at least 50% students who are pursuing their bachelor’s and/or associate’s degree at the beginning of the competition. Only 50% of the team may be pursuing an advanced degree (master’s, Ph.D., etc.).
In keeping with the goal of growing a community of innovators, competitors are encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams while developing their concept, including but not limited to disciplines such as:
- Engineering
- Business
- Marketing
- Communications
- Environmental and Public Policy
- Social Sciences.
Non-U.S. institutions are eligible to participate on their own, without a U.S. university partner; however, these teams will not be eligible to receive cash prizes and must provide their own funding to support travel and competition expenses.
U.S. academic institutions must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.
Review the MECC 2027 Rules to learn more.
If you have any questions or want to receive updates on the prize, please subscribe by using the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at Water.Competition@nlr.gov.