Innovation is being taken to the next level thanks to local undergraduate students. The Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center is excited to announce Destination Decarbonization 2023, a live pitch event on Friday, April 21, beginning at 3:30 p.m., at the East Banquet Room in the University Dining Hall at Fresno State. The pitch event follows the completion of the inaugural Destination Decarbonization Challenge, a student-focused competition hosted by the WET Center and made possible through Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize funding administered by the Department of Energy. Eight finalists will present their projects for the chance to win cash prizes.

The pitch event aims to bring together students, industry experts, and academia to discuss the solutions developed by the finalists surrounding the many challenges of carbon emissions. The eight finalists will have the opportunity to pitch their case studies to a panel of judges composed of industry professionals, in addition to event participants. First-place ($6,000), second-place ($4,000), and third-place ($2,500) winners will be announced at the event after team presentations.

“We are thrilled to host this exciting event and support the next generation of industry leaders in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and create a more sustainable future for the Central Valley and beyond,” said Helle Petersen, director of the WET Center. 

The event is free to attend and light food and refreshments will be provided. For more information on the competition, event registration and the event agenda, visit https://www.wetcenter.org/destination-decarbonization-challenge

About the Finalists

  • Team Agritech (Project focuses on low-disturbance cropping system)
  • Team Algenius (Project focuses on algae reducing carbon dioxide)
  • Team Green (Project focuses on a prototype for Solid Direct Air Capture (SDAC))
  • Team Project Zero (Project focuses on a prototype for measuring carbon content in soil)
  • Team Six-Thousand Dollar Team (Project focuses on transportation and ride-share initiative)
  • Team Sustainable Sistas (Project focuses on reducing food waste)
  • Team SustainaBulldogs (Project focuses on microgrid implementation) 
  • Team Trash Monitoring (Project focuses on a computer-based algorithm that assists with recycling) 

You can learn more about each of the above teams, their members and their project descriptions here. 

(Written by Alexis Duncil)