Student Teams Begin Plans To Repurpose and Recycle Energy Technologies
33 Collegiate Teams Start Phase 1 of Academic Competition That Will Unlock Value From Decommissioned Energy Technologies
There’s a crisp scent in the air, leaves are falling from trees, and professors are lecturing in classrooms. For some students returning to their college campuses for the 2026–2027 academic year, one unique project has already kicked off, inspiring them to brainstorm solutions to a national challenge.
Phase 1 of the National Laboratory of the Rockies’ Technology Recycling and Repurposing (T-ReX) Collegiate Competition, which takes place in the fall semester, invites teams to develop a way to recycle or repurpose retired energy technologies.
The proposed processes or products could help address a growing issue in the United States as fleets of energy-generating devices and related energy-project infrastructure reach the ends of their service lives. Finding new uses for the spent parts and materials represents an opportunity to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals and materials. The opportunity also gives competing students invaluable hands-on experience in the industry.
Representing schools across the United States, T-ReX teams will share the results of their innovative plans at a virtual event in December 2026, where winners of the Project Conception phase will be announced. Judges will score team proposals on a set of criteria related to the creativity, practicality, and safety of the ideas.
Throughout the semester, the teams are also asked to engage with energy companies and local communities to understand the challenges they face with retiring energy projects.
Applications for Phase 1 closed on Sept. 30, 2026. The 33 participating teams represent the following institutions:
- Appalachian State University
- Arizona State University
- Bakersfield College
- California State University San Marcos
- California State University, Fresno
- Clemson University
- College of the Desert
- Colorado School of Mines
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Florida State University
- Georgia Southern University
- Iowa State University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Northern Arizona University
- Oregon State University
- Savannah College of Art and Design and Georgia Southern University
- St. Petersburg College - Clearwater Campus
- The Pennsylvania State University
- The University of Texas at Dallas
- The University of Texas at Tyler
- The University of Tulsa
- The University of Utah
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of California, Riverside
- University of Houston
- University of Massachusetts Lowell
- University of Michigan
- University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
- University of South Florida
- University of Southern California
- University of Wyoming
- Virginia Tech
- Western Washington University
Teams that develop a viable recycling or repurposing concept—and can prove that they can do the work safely—may be invited to continue on to Phase 2 to carry out their proposal. The teams will use the spring 2027 semester to make their plan a reality and show it off at a final in-person event at the conclusion of the academic year.
Their hard work will be rewarded with trophies—made, of course, from recycled scrap materials.
Follow the annual T-ReX Collegiate Competition or get involved as a mentor or advisor by contacting Elise.DeGeorge@nlr.gov.
Last Updated April 28, 2026