Winners of MAKE IT Prize awarded over $11M to improve clean energy manufacturing

The winners in two tracks of the Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize have just been announced.

The winners in two tracks of the Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize have just been announced. As part of the program, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will award:

  • $9,000,000 to two winners of the Facilities Track’s Phase 2: Shovel Ready
  • $1,250,000 to five winners of the Strategies Track’s Phase 3: Activate
  • $1,000,000 to ten winners of the Strategies Track’s Phase 2: Create

Developed by the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) in partnership with the Offices of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the MAKE IT Prize is designed to improve the domestic manufacturing of critical clean energy technology components. The program consists of two tracks:

  • The Facilities Track aims to move clean energy manufacturing facilities from planning to shovel-ready for construction.
  • The Strategies Track is focused on building interest, engagement, and community involvement around manufacturing clean energy technologies.

Additionally, the DOE has introduced MAKE IT Prize Round 2, a program that will offer a prize pool of approximately $32 million. The goal of this program is to increase the development of new manufacturing facilities for critical energy technology components. 

What people are saying

In a recent quote, DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions Dr. Vanessa Z. Chan said, “The MAKE IT Prize is strengthening our country through expanded clean energy manufacturing. Expanding our capacity to manufacture critical components domestically will benefit energy companies, regional economies, and communities across the nation.” 

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About the Author

Alexis Gajewski

Alexis Gajewski

Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.

During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry. 

Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.

She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.

Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.

Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn

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