Western Washington University

04/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/14/2026 14:05

Carbon Grand Challenge will feature students developing real world decarbonization proposals on Earth Day

Carbon Grand Challenge will feature students developing real world decarbonization proposals on Earth Day

Institute for Energy Studies prepares undergrads for the energy transition workforce

April 14, 2026

Mary Gallagher

WWU Communications

Western Washington University's Institute for Energy Studies will host the Carbon Grand Challenge, which will have student teams spending Earth Day developing solutions to a decarbonization problem and pitching their ideas to industry experts.

Teams of WWU students will work as small consulting companies to create and present competing proposals to address a critical decarbonization challenge in Whatcom County.

Earth Week

Learn more about more Earth Week events at WWU.

The Carbon Grand Challenge will be on Earth Day, April 22, in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room. Events from 3 to 5:30 p.m. will be open to the public.

Student teams will be given a hypothetical scenario: a philanthropy has partnered with Whatcom County leaders to invest $10 million in a regional decarbonization project. The 10-year project must meaningfully advance Washington state's goal of net-zero emissions by 2045 and deliver tangible benefits to communities.

The student teams will work throughout the day to design creative, evidence-based solutions to the challenge. Along the way they'll be mentored by professionals with real-world industry knowledge.

Beginning at 3 p.m., student teams will give seven-minute pitches to a panel of judges, who will score the proposals on their impact potential, feasibility and creativity.

The community-oriented event will also include remarks by WWU President Sabah Randhawa and a keynote address by former state senator and clean energy entrepreneur Reuven Carlyle. A networking reception with light refreshments will follow the team competition.

Click here to learn more about the Carbon Grand Challenge.

About the Institute for Energy Studies

Western Washington University's Institute for Energy Studies is a multidisciplinary collaboration that offers undergraduate programs to address science, technology, policy, engineering and economic aspects of energy systems. Driven by student interest and guided by an advisory board of regional energy leaders, IES programs are designed to meet future workforce needs of Washington's emerging clean energy economy. Founded in 2012, the IES is the only interdisciplinary undergraduate center in the U.S. devoted to the preparing students for the energy transition workforce.

Western Washington University published this content on April 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 14, 2026 at 20:05 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]