07/21/2026
AAPG Sustainable Development in Energy Competition 2026
🎉 Third Place: Team AquaVolt
Venture: Geo-Hydraulic Electrification: Harnessing Confined Aquifer Pressure for Sustainable Energy and Salinity Control
$2,000 Grant Winner
Team AquaVolt was also awarded The Phoenix Award for scaling through the program with determination, courage, and an unbreakable spirit.
The coastal region of Dholera faces critical challenges of unreliable
electricity supply, groundwater depletion, and salinity intrusion, all of which directly impact agriculture and rural livelihoods. The proposed Geo-Hydraulic Electrification project aims to address these interconnected issues by harnessing subsurface hydrogeological conditions for decentralized energy generation and salinity control.
We are excited to be a part of the future of sustainable energy being built by these young innovators. Congrats!