Climate Solutions Summit
Our signature event, held every spring.
THE CSS WILL RETURN SPRING 2025
The beginning of student-driven innovation.
What is the Climate Solutions Summit?
In Spring 2023, a coalition of sustainability and business organizations launched the first ever Climate Solutions Summit.
The event explored scaling and implementing clean energy technology in the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The centerpiece of the summit was a cross-disciplinary conference that connected over 150 enthusiastic students with clean energy professionals. The conference featured a keynote speech from Governor Jay Inslee and dynamic panel discussions focused on Disruptive Innovation, Scaling Adoption, and Workforce Development.
The second element was a residential decarbonization case competition. 16 student teams learned about the IRA and proposed solutions to increase the speed and scale of decarbonization projects. Teams presented their ideas to expert judges and the top teams competed in a final round for cash prizes.
The Climate Solutions Summit returned in Spring 2024, featuring a convention on disruptive innovation and community solar.
The event featured a keynote speech from Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, and speakers such as Washington State Representative David Hackney and Nora Hawkins of the Washington State Department of Commerce.
This year’s case competition was focused on making residential solar renewables accessible and affordable for diverse individuals, where 20 student teams competed for $6,000 in cash prizes.