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American-Made Program

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Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize

UPDATED PRIZE SUMMARY COMING EARLY 2026.
stage:
Pre registration
prize:
$200,000
more
Summary
Timeline
Updates10
Forum6
Teams234
Entries
Resources
FAQ
Summary

Prize Summary

UPDATED PRIZE SUMMARY COMING EARLY 2026.

Timeline

Challenge Timeline

start
Sept. 6, 2024, 8:34 a.m. PDT
Date Launched
Jan. 16, 2026, 10:45 a.m. PST
You are here
Jan. 30, 2026, 7 a.m. PST
Tentative Phase 1 Launch - January 2026
Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize opens for submissions.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
April 30, 2026, 2 p.m. PDT
Tentative Phase 1 Submissions Due - April 2026
Submission materials are due by 5pm ET.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
June 30, 2026, 11 a.m. PDT
Tentative Phase 1 Winners Announced - June 2026
Anticipated winner announcement.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Aug. 31, 2026, 7 a.m. PDT
Tentative Phase 2 Launch - August 2026
Phase 2 open for submissions.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
June 30, 2027, 2 p.m. PDT
Tentative Phase 2 Submissions Due - June 2027
Submission materials are due by 5pm ET.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
finish
Aug. 31, 2027, 11 a.m. PDT
Tentative Phase 2 Winners Announced - August 2027
Anticipated winner announcement.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Updates10

Challenge Updates

Claim Your Free DTECH 2026 Expo-Only Pass

Jan. 13, 2026, 3:20 p.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

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.  

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. 

To claim your ticket, please use this link 

To ensure fairness, we kindly ask that requests for free expo tickets be limited to a maximum of two per group. 

PLUS: Interested applicants of the Beyond the Meter Prize are invited to a 90-minute networking session to learn more about the prize and connect with potential teammates.  

REGISTER TODAY to attend the networking session. 

We look forward to seeing you in San Diego! 


Beyond the Meter Prize Reopening in 2026

Dec. 16, 2025, 11 a.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

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.


Beyond the Meter Winner Announcement Postponed

March 3, 2025, 1:29 p.m. PST by NLR Prize Moderator

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.


Beyond the Meter Prize Submissions Due Today

Dec. 12, 2024, 5:03 a.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

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! 


One Week Until Submissions Are Due!

Dec. 5, 2024, 6:33 a.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

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! 


Forum6
Teams234
Entries
Resources
FAQ