We are a nation built on American ingenuity. With that in mind, the Department of Energy — in collaboration with the Presidential Innovation Fellows — is launching the American Energy Data Challenge, inviting the public to use energy data to do amazing things in support of the White House’s open data policy.

The goals for this four-part challenge are to introduce the public to the valuable data and resources offered by the Energy Department, to solicit feedback about the data, to amplify the energy data available to consumers today under the Green Button Initiative, to create new ways to visualize and discover energy data, and to spur the development of new tools and services that leverage these high-value data sets in ways that benefit the American people.

The first challenge of this series — the Energy Ideas Challenge — seeks new ideas for using energy data to create high-value innovative apps, mission-driven services and insightful knowledge that will contribute to solving real-world issues in the public and private sectors. The first challenge will be conducted from Nov. 6 through Nov. 29, 2013, with a total of $10,000 in prizes being offered. Three additional challenges — Apps for Energy II, Energy Data by Design and the American Energy Challenge — will be rolled out in the coming months, culminating in a call for bold ideas to re-imagine America’s energy infrastructure.

Data and information are essential national assets that increase in value when they are made easily accessible to the public. We hope that you will join this exciting challenge, and we look forward to hearing your great ideas.

Join us now and submit your amazing ideas on the American Energy Data Challenge website:http://energychallenge.energy.gov