Highlands Ranch - Alternative Fuel City of the Future

Back in 2007, we started discussions with Canadian and California based natural gas home garage appliance manufacturers to kick start a Highlands Ranch pilot program when gasoline at the time was hovering at about $3.00 per gallon. Back then, initial feedback from Xcel Energy was they didn’t want to support this sort of initiative and without their support, the Compressed Natural Gas home fueling pilot program was nixed.

Fast forward three years later and gasoline around Denver is hovering around $3.50 per gallon and climbing. It’s anticipated that gas can reach over $4.00 by late spring. CNG is probably looking pretty good to a lot of drivers today. March 2011 CNG per gallon equivalent is hovering at about $2.44 per gallon and miles per gallon is almost the same as unleaded gasoline. That’s a savings of 30% at the pump.

Another four years have gone by since 2007 and no political leadership has been demonstrated to wean off our economy from gasoline to another lower cost fuel source. CNG isn’t perfect but it reduces our reliance on foreign oil that is stored and processed in turbulent and troubled countries.

Here’s some links about CNG home fueling stations:

http://www.sceg.com/en/residential-services/why-choose-natural-gas/natural-gas-vehicles/

http://www.pge.com/myhome/environment/pge/cleanair/naturalgasvehicles/fueling/

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/37333.pdf

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10002519

Energy Cities in Colorado

December, 2010

Dear Highlands Ranch Residents:

cc: President Obama

Sadly, after five years, the Highlands Ranch Energy City project has come to a close. Rising construction costs, political road blocks and impediments, and self-serving political interests have all contributed to the demise of this project.  

The Energy City Clean Technology Incubator project for Highlands Ranch was started in early 2006. Under my direction, 35 ThunderRidge High School seniors worked hard on this project in order to bring the first energy city clean tech incubator to Highlands Ranch. This incubator would have attracted new high paying jobs and clean energy start-up businesses not only from around the United States but also from around the world. More high paying jobs in a lagging economy is what is needed.

Highlands Ranch resident survey opinion polls were excellent on this project. Local business thought leaders were also excited about the energy city potential. Over 65% of the Highlands Ranch residents supported the energy incubator and were willing to pay $15 per month to cover its annual operational expenses over a 10-year period.

The high school seniors also researched and championed hydrogen home fuel cells, home garage natural gas fueling stations for autos, wind & solar power for Highlands Ranch, and personal rain water collection for gray water usage.

LET THE ROADBLOCKS BEGIN  

Four years ago, when an energy city presentation was made by ThunderRidge High School seniors to Xcel Energy senior management, Xcel hated the idea that Highlands Ranch was going to be off the grid by the year 2020. It was also cited by Xcel that going off the grid may be an illegal activity. In the height of the gasoline crisis two years ago, ThunderRidge High School seniors approached Xcel Energy again to seek support for a beta test using natural gas home fueling stations for automobiles. They hated that idea as well and offered no assistance.

Concerning wind energy production, high school seniors took three years of their time to locate a wind anemometer station for tracking wind speeds on a piece of land where the energy incubator was going to be built. This past June 2010, the seniors found an available wind anemometer loaned by Colorado State University. Shea Properties said they changed their minds and weren’t interested in allowing the tower to be temporarily erected on their commercially-zoned property. In previous years, Shea said they were eager to lend support.  

On the State Capital side of the issue, one side of the political aisle loved the energy city idea, but didn’t want to push the energy city constitutional amendment agenda too far for fear of alienating the Republicans. On the Republican side, I was personally brushed off for three years by my local Republican representative even though I have been a voting Republican since 1976. The best idea the Republicans could offer us to address our Colorado and national energy problems was to allow an existing city to get an energy city seal of approval rating. Sort of like getting a Betty Crocker seal of approval. That doesn’t create new jobs.

We need black swan energy ideas to create energy jobs and commerce growth. We need energy sustainability to transition our current economy away from gasoline and high cost electricity to a new economy that is energy creative and innovative.

Here was a black swan looking at you square in the eyes and you chased it away.

I’d like to thank these people/organizations for their support since 2006: Wilbur Sameshima – ThunderRidge HS teacher, Harold Barefoot Sanders III - music composer for Project Runway/Top Chef,  YourHub.com, Highlands Ranch (H.R.) Herald, H.R. Community Association, H. R. Metro District, Douglas County Commissioners, Colorado State University, Burt Automotive Network, CH2M Hill, Douglas County School District, Ford Motor Company, Governor Ritter, Governor’s Energy Office, Merrill Lynch, NREL, South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, energy city project resident volunteers and the 35 high schools seniors who worked so hard on this project since 2006.

For more information about the energy city project: http://www.hrcleantech.com  

Thank you.
 
Steve Taraborelli
Highlands Ranch, CO Resident

Since 2006, the ThunderRidge High School seniors have been researching and talking about erecting a wind anemometer tower on Shea Properties owned land near the Super Target Center in Highlands Ranch.

The main goal of the wind anemometer study is to learn if it is feasible to place a wind tower annexed to the energy city clean technology incubator building that would generate electricity for the incubator and neighboring residential homes and businesses.

The high school seniors over the last 3.5 years have worked with Shea Properties and Douglas County to fulfill the necessary requirements to place a 120 foot wind monitoring tower on 1000 square feet of land within the 120 acres of light industrial property.

The major hurdle to complete this task was finding the scarce wind anemometer tower and computer that records hourly wind speeds. To find a wind speed tracking tower, NREL, Colorado State University, wind tower manufacturers, Douglas County and other entities were constantly followed up with monthly to find a wind tower.

This effort spanned over three years and with persistence, success was in the horizon when CSU contacted the TRHS seniors in May, 2010 that a wind anemometer tower was available for placement on the land near the Super Target Center. The Douglas County application was partially completed and all it needed was for Shea to approve the pre-designated location.

Shea Properties was contacted with the good news after 3.5 years of hard work by 35 high school seniors and Shea told us that they are no longer interested because “The reason we cannot commit to making the land available is that there is too much activity in the business park to risk tying up that land at this time.”

While we respect Shea’s decision and it’s their land to own and manage, asking for 1000 sq ft out of 5.3 million sq. ft. doesn’t seem like it would impede any possible future retail construction in the next 11 months (tower could have been installed last month.)

It’s too bad that when some people try to affect positive change to grow the local economy, attract high paying jobs and attract a diverse work force to Highlands Ranch, Shea Properties good neighbor support becomes fleeting.

There is a child prodigy and her name is Adora Svitak. She says we need more “childish” thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. The energy city of Highlands Ranch has high expectations along with bold optimism. She says that grownups’ should embrace childish ideas and learn from them instead of dismissing them.

High School seniors continue active discussions on clean tech energy city designation

Denver, CO - March 5, 2010 — ThunderRidge High School seniors, Rachel Gross and Dray Doddington met with Senate President, Brandon Shaffer in his office to continue discussions about how communities and cities across Colorado can be designated as a clean tech energy city.

By Chris Michlewicz
Reprinted from Highlands Ranch Herald

Four students from ThunderRidge High School are using their senior research project to attract attention to innovative ideas for clean technology.

The students presented their ideas last month to the Highlands Ranch Metro District Board of Directors and the Board of Douglas County Commissioners to gain support for their initiatives, which include establishing clean tech energy incubator “cities” that foster the success of energy start-ups. This month, they have plans to meet with State Senate president Brendan Shaffer, and Gov. Bill Ritter has already stopped by the school to endorse the project and tout the economic and environmental benefits of clean energy.

Since 2006, 35 seniors have helped build the program. This year, the students are hoping to make big changes, including amending to Colorado Constitution, to enable cities to adopt an energy department managed by city employees.

“The incubator attracts new clean tech start-ups who sign an energy city agreement that a portion of their profits and any patent royalty income earned, a small percentage would go back to the energy city,” said Steve Taraborelli, a volunteer coordinator who says he has no ties to the energy industry. “Retained earnings then go back to the residents.”

The four students involved this year are hoping their message will reach top decision-makers before their senior year is completed, but they don’t have plans to stop their work after graduation. All of those involved aspire to one day use this experience to help them start a career in the clean technology industry, which they see as a field with immense growth potential.

Dray Doddington, one of the ThunderRidge seniors, said he has plans to become an environmental engineer in the industry. Some of the students have parents in the aerospace or energy field.

The students hope to also erect a wind anemometer near SuperTarget at Highlands Ranch Parkway and Lucent Boulevard to collect 12 months worth of data that will determine whether a wind turbine would be a feasible means of harnessing energy. But their primary focus is on securing a statewide ballot initiative this year that supports their vision for clean technology cities throughout Colorado, initially creating a 25,000-square-foot clean energy city on 11 acres in Highlands Ranch.

For more information, visit www.hrcleantech.com.

Highlands Ranch Herald Article

ThunderRidge Seniors Present their Energy City Research Work to HRMD

On Wednesday, February 17, 2010, the ThunderRidge HS seniors made a formal Energy City presentation to the Highlands Ranch Metro District board of directors.

The general highlights of the presentation are:

1. Reviewed four years of energy city research topics
2. Covered four years of energy city accomplishments
3. Up-to-date news on the wind speed tracking tower installation
4. Up-to-date news on getting the energy city creation amendment on the November, 2010 Colorado ballot
5. Previewed the energy city video commercial

For more information: Colorado Energy City Website

Energy city update on amending the Colorado Constitution and Wind Anemometer Tower

Four ThunderRidge high school seniors (L-R: Rachel Gross, Cameron Radtke, Mitch Horacek, Dray Doddington) attended the weekly Douglas County Commissioners business meeting to update the three county commissioners on their energy city research project.

Cameron Radtke made a presentation on why erecting a wind anemometer tower next to the Highlands Ranch Super Target Center would benefit the local residents and businesses. “We are excited to keep Douglas County informed on the progress we are making to erect an 80-foot wind speed tracking tower on Shea Properties land near the Super Target Center,” Cameron stated.

The next presenter was Dray Doddington who talked about the status of their efforts to amend the Colorado Constitution allowing residents in non-incorporated Colorado communities to vote to on incorporate as an “Energy City.” He also told the county commissioners that forming energy cities across Colorado would let the residents decide on what types of energy products and/or services they would like to provide.

Dray mentioned, “This is a great opportunity for Highlands Ranch and Colorado to attract new energy businesses to the state, create new jobs and solidify Colorado as a region in the Country that embraces energy empowerment and proactive change.”

The presentation concluded with the scenario that if the Colorado Senate voted to amend the Constitution to allow energy city incorporation across Colorado, Highlands Ranch would then be able to conduct a local vote to build and maintain the Country’s first city-owned clean technology energy incubator.

For more information: www.hrcleantech.com

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The ThunderRidge High School seniors made a short presentation to the Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce on January 13, 2010. The presentation covered:

1. Erecting a wind anemometer tower on Shea owned land near the Highlands Ranch Super Target Center to collect wind speed data over a 12-month period. Research results may show that erecting wind towers to generate electricity for the clean tech energy incubator is feasible.

2. Amending the Colorado Constitution to allow any non-incorporated community to incorporate as an “Energy City.” Energy cities across Colorado can then build their own clean technology for-profit business enterprise (owned by the taxpayers) to increase employment, create new markets for clean tech products and services and entice green companies outside of Colorado to relocate to the only State in the Union that encourages communities to incorporate as an Energy City.

Four ThunderRidge High School seniors have joined together to participate in the energy city of Highlands Ranch research project.

The ThunderRidge High School seniors will continue to lobby the State Capitol for constitution changes to allow any community in Colorado to incorporate as an energy city. In addition, the TRHS seniors will also continue on the installation of a wind anemometer station that will be located on Shea-owned property adjacent to the Super Target Center.

In April 2009, nine ThunderRidge High School seniors, in coordination with the math department, designed an energy city survey to better understand if the community would support the formation of energy cities in Colorado if the state constitution was amended.

59% of the homeowners surveyed are either Likely or Extremely Likely to support amending the Colorado Constitution to allow a community in Colorado to incorporate as an energy city. 65% of the Highlands Ranch homeowners would vote in favor of forming an energy city that had a clean tech energy incubator.

The vision of the energy city is to empower the residents to create their own energy-related economy that is designed to attract and retain energy businesses to the new energy city. Some of the other benefits are:

- bring communities statewide into the clean energy movement to foster collaboration to solve tough energy problems
- diversify the local economy
- attract high paying clean tech jobs
- solidify local tax base and increase home resale property values
- residents reap the financial rewards - energy city enterprise gives back to the residents in the form of energy rebates, reduced pricing on energy products and services, etc.