Following a successful Round 1 and Round 2 of this prize series, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Electricity is excited to the $2.4 million Digitizing Utilities Prize Round 3: Resilient Grid Innovation. Round 3 of this competition aims to incentivize technology development partnerships with interdisciplinary teams of software developers and data experts to transform digital systems, data analytics, and grid resource integration for the electric sector.
The electric industry sector is facing an explosion of data coming from a variety of sources. New types of sensors have been deployed with fast-streaming datasets (one such example is data from phasor measurement units), challenging utilities’ traditional methods of data acquisition, use, and storage. Meanwhile, big data analytics products and related services for the utility industry are limited; most of the available products having only modest electricity domain expertise.
Electric sector stakeholders are facing an emerging need to capitalize on large datasets, both internally generated data and externally generated data (e.g., weather data, topographic data, information related to vegetation), to improve reliability. Utilities are beginning to leverage information and communication technologies and automation techniques to create new business opportunities and manage market-driven change.
DOE invitesutilities and other energy sector partners to connect with interdisciplinary teams of software developers, data experts, and risk and decision scientists to facilitate the transformation of digital systems, data analytics, and risk-informed resource integration for electric utilities. Non-utility teams must partner with an energy sector partner in order to be eligible to compete in the prize.
These challenges can include not only using data with analytics, but also developing pipelines for processing, data quality assurance, data storage, and deletion. For this prize, an energy sector partner must be located in the United States and could include any of the following:
Rural electric cooperatives
Utilities owned by a political subdivision of a state, such as a municipally owned electric utility
Utilities owned by any agency, authority, corporation, or instrumentality of one or more political subdivisions of a state
Investor-owned electric utilities
Regional transmission operators/independent system operators
Electric aggregators
Electric wire owning and/or operating entities.
DOE intends for the solutions developed under this prize to be shared as examples with the broader energy sector community on how to solve data and/or resource integration challenges.
Prize Pools
Contest
Winners
Prizes
Phase 1 — Plan
Up to sixteen (16)
$75,000 cash prize each
Phase 2 — Progress
Up to five (5)
$150,000 cash prize each and $75,000 voucher each
Progress phase competitors are also eligible to compete in the following optional bonus prizes offered during the Progress phase:
Impact with Public Research Data Bonus Prize (Optional)
Contextualized information about grid events and uncertain conditions is incredibly helpful for improving system reliability. Curated datasets with contextual labels can help catalyze the development of new grid reliability tools through new techniques, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Competitors who have demonstrations that result in contextualized grid datasets and who contribute data to public repositories of grid data are eligible to be awarded the Impact with Public Research Data Bonus Prize.
This data could be anonymized or could be a subset of the total data collected to make it suitable for public release. Submissions that include contributing data from multiple sources to existing public repositories, such as the Grid Event Signature Library (GESL) or the Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI), are of particular interest. Data sets must not be submitted directly, but a link to the data on an open repository should be included in the bonus prize narrative. See Section 4.6.7 for additional details.
Contest
Winners
Prizes
Bonus Prize
Up to one (1)
$50,000 cash prize
Federated Grid Data Security Bonus Prize (Optional)
Competitors who demonstrate a technology that enables secure, collaborative, and privacy-preserving learning across grid systems are eligible to be awarded the Federated Grid Data Security Bonus Prize. The modern electricity system depends on analyzing vast amounts of operational data, yet utilities and vendors often cannot share this information due to privacy, regulatory, and security concerns. This prize rewards innovations that make it possible to train and improve cybersecurity or operational models across multiple organizations without exposing sensitive data, strengthening the sector’s collective ability to detect, prevent, and recover from cyber events. Energy sector partners advancing the safe use of distributed or federated analytics to enhance trust, transparency, and resilience in both operational technology and information systems are encouraged to compete.
Contest
Winners
Prizes
Bonus Prize
Up to one (1)
$50,000 cash prize
Competitor Eligibility
The competition is open only to private entities (for-profits and nonprofits); nonfederal government entities such as states, counties, tribes, and municipalities; and academic institutions.
In case you missed last week’s informational webinar, you can find a recording and a copy of the slides presented in the Resources tab. During the event, prize administrators covered:
Prize background
Key dates
Submission material requirements
Competitor eligibility
Attendee questions
To read the full list of questions asked during the live Q&A portion of the event, check out Section 10 of the FAQ tab.
We highly recommend all competitors watch the webinar recording and read the Official Rules document as you prepare your submission materials. As a reminder, all Phase 1 submission materials are due no later than 5 p.m. ET on April 9.
We look forward to reviewing your applications soon!
Register TODAY to attend tomorrow's informational webinar - Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. ET. During the webinar, prize administrators will thoroughly explain the Digitizing Utilities Round 3 competition details, including submission elements, key dates, and competitor resources. This webinar is a great opportunity for potential competitors to learn more about the prize and ask questions during the live Q&A.
Can’t make the webinar? Stay up to date on all prize announcements by clicking “Follow” at the top of this page. You’ll be notified when a recording of the webinar has been posted.
Register here to reserve your spot, and we look forward to seeing you at the webinar!
Join the American-Made team at DTECH 2026 in sunny San Diego, CA, February 2–5!
We’re excited to announce that the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Electricity (OE) will be hosting a booth where past and future prize competitors can network and learn more about multiple new prizes, as well as other impactful funding opportunities and activities from OE. Plus, conference attendees can join us at several Knowledge Hub sessions to hear from past winners and prize administrators on the benefits of competing in prizes.
As part of our commitment to engaging the community and advancing innovation, we are offering 50 expo-only tickets to potential participants who are interested in attending. These tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, so don’t miss your chance to connect with us and learn more about how you can get involved.
Today the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity announced the Digitizing Utilities Prize Round 3 has been reopened for new applications. This $2.4 million prize aims to incentivize technology development partnerships among interdisciplinary teams of software developers and data experts to transform digital systems, data analytics, and grid resource integration for the electric sector.
In Phase 1, competitor teams will identify an energy sector partner and demonstrate a thorough understanding of their partner’s presented opportunity or challenge, as well as theteam’s ability to access the partner’s relevant data and resources that can be leveraged for this prize. Up to 16 teams will be awarded a cash prize of $75,000 and invited to participate in Phase 2.
Register TODAYfor an informational webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 28, covering key prize details including submission materials, competitor eligibility, and important deadlines.
Visit the Office of Electricity booth (#901) at DTECH 2026 this Feb. 2–5 in San Diego, CA, to hear more from past prize winners and network with other competitors.
Complete your submission no later than Thursday, April 9, at 5 p.m. ET.
Plus, don’t forget to follow the prize here on HeroX to receive timely reminders and updates about the competition.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Digitizing Utilities Prize Round 3. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been evaluating all funding opportunities, including prize challenges, to ensure appropriate resources are allocated efficiently, and that the Department's initiatives are in line with the statutory mission of DOE and the policies and priorities of the Administration and DOE. We appreciate your flexibility and patience during this process.
Prize administrators are pleased to inform you that after DOE's review, we are continuing Round 3 of the Digitizing Utilities Prize with a modified timeline and forthcoming rules document. Please closely review the HeroX timeline for updated deadlines. We look forward to seeing your submissions in January 2026.
In the meantime, please reach out to our team at digitizingutilitiesprize@nrel.gov if you have any questions or are an energy sector partner or utility interested in working with a prize team on a challenge or opportunity that you have identified to improve energy resource utilization, adequacy, and integration for operations and planning.
Plus, don’t forget to follow the prize on HeroX to receive important competition updates including a notification when the updated prize rules document is available.
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.
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. You may also send a message to the Prize Administrator inbox at .
Power Connector organizations are a core group of Connectors that will work alongside NLR to implement parts of the program and secure additional resources and partners. Discover who they are and how they will help innovators succeed.
The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is the Prize Administrator for the American-Made Challenges. In this capacity NLR 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.
If you encounter an issue when attempting to submit an entry to the challenge, you may need to contact HeroX or the Prize Administrator. You may try to connect with HeroX using the online form which appears in the bottom right corner of your browser window, it says "Leave a Message".
You may also send a message to the Prize Administrator inbox at . Please allow at least 1 business day for a response.
Do competitors retain their IP? What are the IP rules?
The competitors retain all IP. However, if they receive a voucher in Phase 2 they will be required to sign an agreement with a national lab that will have IP terms in case IP is developed during the course of said voucher.
Regarding the data requirement: Our solution utilizes high-resolution data from 'grid edge devices' (Behind-the-Meter batteries) to improve utility resilience. Does this satisfy the requirement for data 'provided by the partner' if the partner authorizes the pilot, or must the dataset strictly originate from the utility's own sensors (like SCADA)?
Sensor data from utility owned sensors is not the only eligible type of sensor data. We encourage other sources of data from innovative sensors that can help supplement utility sensors and improve grid visability
What will be judge more favorably on the Online Public Video. A scientific approach to our presentation, more details with charts and graphs, or a more entertaining presentation such as someone on Shark Tank?
Please refer to the information about your video in the official rules document, section 3.6.1 for further guidance.
Suggested content competitor provides: • The real-world problem you are solving • Your solution and why it is transformational • Who you are (your organization and key team members) and why you have a competitive edge.
Post your publicly accessible video online (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo). Be creative and produce a video that conveys the required information in exciting and interesting ways, but do not focus on time-consuming activities that only improve production values (i.e., technical elements such as décor, lighting, and cinematic techniques).
Can a private UK company participate as part of an otherwise US team?
Private entities must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. Individuals competing as part of a team are eligible to participate if they are legally authorized to work in the United States.
If there are students working on the project should they be included as part of the team?
Only one team member is required to submit the materials, but we highly recommend reviewing the rules on eligibility of team members and entities (Section 1.4). Individuals competing as part of a team are eligible to participate if they are legally authorized to work in the United States.
What defines a "Energy Sector Partner" exactly?
Please refer to Section 1.1 of the rules document for a non-exhaustive list of examples of energy sector partners.
I am having trouble on the Team Location on our application. It doesn't recognize our town or county.
You may choose the next closest town (or biggest metro area that may be identifiable) and then specify in your application the actual town/county you’re located in.
What is the license associated with GESL data?
There is no licensing info yet. Everything is open-access.
Can a team consist of only employees of the energy sector partner (a non-profit co-op), or is collaboration outside of the energy sector partner required?
The primary partnership is between the data experts/software developers the energy sector partner. The energy sector partner may already have these elements in-house, which would be fine for a permissible submission.
Are there any expectations on the TRLs before after Plan and Progress phase?
It is expected that projects are near the demonstration level, but there is not a strict requirement teams must define. Competitors may include any TRL information they would like in their submission to clarify the status of their projects.
