Oregon's Future Energy Experts Compete in Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge

Janine kicked off the morning with a presentation on energy in Oregon.

Students raised their hands to share that they had solar at home or on their school.

Some students were out of power for five days or more following the January 2024 ice storm.

Students created presentations about their wind turbine models and answered judges' questions.

Students got creative in the materials they used for their wind turbines.

ODOE was proud to sponsor the event. Check out the awards the winning teams took home!

An indoor wind tunnel tested the students' turbines and measured energy output.

On March 12, Oregon Department of Energy Director Janine Benner served as a presenter and judge for the 2024 Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge in Newport. Students from elementary and middle schools along the coast created their own renewable energy devices to compete for best design.

The Challenge is designed to educate students about renewable energy options that could be built in and provide energy for their own coastal communities (and beyond). Students developed wind, wave, or solar devices for testing in water tanks or an indoor wind tunnel. Janine was pleased to serve as a judge for the wind competition, where students were challenged to create turbines that could generate electricity in windy conditions.

It was Janine’s second time judging for the event and she was again impressed with the creativity and passion the students had for their projects. “It was fun to see the diverse approaches to designing wind turbines and the materials they chose — from plastic to cardboard to old Cheetos containers,” said Janine. “The students clearly did their research, and it was wonderful to connect with their supportive teachers and volunteers.”

Janine was also pleased to kick off the event with a short presentation on energy in Oregon, featuring Oregon’s electricity resource mix, our electric vehicle dashboard, and our solar dashboard. Janine also discussed the importance of energy resilience and asked students if they lost power during the January ice storm. Nearly everyone raised their hand, and some even reported being out for five days or more!

Congratulations to the winners:

Wind Competition for Elementary School:

• 1st Place Team Wind Wavers from Eddyville Charter

• 2nd Place Team Wind Warriors from Sam Case Elementary

• 3rd Place Team Gizmo from Same Case Elementary

Wind Competition for Middle School:

• 1st Place Team Wind Benders from Warrenton Middle School

• 2nd Place Team Purple Martins from Warrenton Middle School

• 3rd Place Team Whaling Walruses from Warrenton Middle School

Solar Competition 1st Place Winner:

• Team Great Solar Quick Boat from Eddyville Charter

Wave Competition 1st Place Winner:

• Team Octopi from Taft

Winners are eligible to participate in a national championship competition in Minneapolis later this year.

ODOE was proud to sponsor the Newport event alongside Oregon State University, Oregon Sea Grant, and Oregon Coast STEM Hub – we look forward to someday working with this future group of energy experts!