Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize

Thank you for your continued interest in the Beyond the Meter Prize. 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 relaunching the Beyond the Meter Prize with a modified timeline, forthcoming rules document, and new prize pool. Please closely review the HeroX timeline for updated deadlines. We look forward to seeing your submissions after the prize reopens in early 2026.

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.

The announcement of the Beyond the Meter Prize winner has been postponed until further notice. The HeroX timeline will be updated accordingly, and we will provide further revisions once the new announcement date is confirmed.

Due to this delay, we will no longer be recognizing winners at DISTRIBUTECH® 2025. Instead, we are actively seeking an alternative conference to highlight our winners once the announcement is made. The rules document will be updated accordingly once the new conference has been selected. All updates will be shared on this HeroX update page, and an alert will be issued when the winner announcement date is confirmed.

Thank you for your continued patience. We look forward to announcing the Beyond the Meter Prize winners as soon as possible.

Today’s the day! Make sure to press the submit button on your Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize application before 5 p.m. ET today. Late submissions will not be accepted, so prize administrators strongly recommend submitting prior to the 5 p.m. ET deadline to manage connectivity issues or slow upload speeds. 

This is your chance to contribute to a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy ecosystem! Take the opportunity to meet potential grid partners to integrate your energy storage solution within the U.S. electricity grid. 

Up to two winners will win a cash prize of $100,000 ($50,000 distributed at the time of the winner announcement and $50,000 distributed after participating in DISTRIBUTECH) and have exclusive opportunities to network with other grid vendors at DISTRIBUTECH 2025 with the goal of integrating technologies.  

Good luck! 

The Beyond the Meter Prize submission deadline is fast approaching on Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. ET. The prize administrators highly recommend uploading your submission as early as possible to avoid connectivity issues or upload delays.  

Remember to include the following materials in your submission packet. Read the official rules for complete information on what to submit: 

• Cover page: List basic information about your submission, including project title, team name, short description, and key members. 
• Narrative: Use the five writing prompts in the official rules to guide your narrative. You may include up to ten supporting images, figures, or graphs. Narrative must not exceed 2,500 words (roughly 5 pages, not including captions, figures, or graphics).  
• Summary PowerPoint slide: Make a one-slide submission summary that introduces your team and mission. 
• Letters of commitment or support (optional): If you have a partner or others that are critical to the success of your proposed solution, add a letter of commitment or support to likely increase your score. General letters of support from parties that are not critical to the execution of your solution will likely not factor into your score.  

Don’t miss this chance to showcase your grid-edge technology at the Office of Electricity’s DISTRIBUTECH booth and the opportunity to network with potential grid partners! Upload your Beyond the Meter Prize submission by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 12.  

We look forward to seeing your submission! 

Submissions to the Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize are due Dec. 12 by 5 p.m. ET. We encourage companies and coalitions that want to integrate with other grid-edge technologies to start prepping their applications now! 

Each competitor should read the official rules before submitting their application. Reviewing the rules will give you full details on what to include in an eligible submission. Up to two winners will be selected for demonstrating their behind-the-meter grid-edge technology, highlighting a plan to collaborate with other grid vendors, and outlining how they'll participate in DISTRIBUTECH. 

Why DISTRIBUTECH?  

DISTRIBUTECH creates a space to network with other players in the electric grid at the largest, most influential energy transmission and distribution even in the country. Having the opportunity to showcase a solution at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity booth will enable winners to market their product to thousands of potential partners (and customers).   

In addition to networking opportunities, up to two winners will win $100,000 each, of which, $50,000 will be distributed after the announcement of winners and $50,000 after their attendance and participation at DISTRIBUTECH, which takes place in Dallas, Texas, on March 24-27, 2025. 

If you haven’t already watched the informational webinar, be sure to check it out for more information about the prize.  

If you have any questions about the prize, you can find answers in the official rules or by emailing us directly at electricity.prize@nrel.gov. Best of luck!