On December 5, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), in partnership with KidWind, will host the KidWind Challenge Jr., a wind turbine competition for middle school students. The event is designed to engage more than 100 students from across the region in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities by having them design, build, and test small wind turbines.
The competition aims to teach participants about renewable energy and potential career opportunities in the clean energy sector. Students will also learn about how wind energy fits into SMUD’s 2030 Zero Carbon Plan.
Participants will compete for trophies and medals as they put their turbine designs to the test in a wind tunnel.
SMUD has provided electricity to Sacramento County for over 75 years as a community-owned, not-for-profit utility. According to SMUD, its power supply was approximately 62% carbon free in 2024. The utility has set a goal to eliminate all carbon emissions from its electricity production by 2030 while maintaining reliable service and keeping rates lower than other utilities in California. More information about SMUD’s Zero Carbon Plan can be found at smud.org.
