City of Highlands Ranch Energy Research - Year Two
Since starting this project in June, 2006, this marks the 2nd year of alternative fuel and renewable energy research to offer the residents of Highlands Ranch the option to become empowered on their home and business energy requirements. Here’s the general outline of the research for the 2007-08 ThunderRidge high school year.
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Future City of Highlands Ranch Alternative Fuel Economy
Business Plan Development to Take Highlands Ranch Off the Grid by 2020
Short Term Goal: Offer the Highlands Ranch voters an alternative choice of local government that is 100% focused on an energy platform rather than traditional municipality services.
Long Term Goal: Empower the Highlands Ranch residents and businesses to become energy self reliant through the use of solar, wind, hydrogen and other renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuel. The city will help them do that.
The Energy-Focused City Model - Overview:
1. Will become the first non-municipality to adopt a city charter in the U.S. that is 100% focused on energy
2. Will become the first energy-focused city that earns revenues from outside enterprises and returns profits back to the residents and businesses to assist in reducing their reliance on fossil fuels
3. Will become the first energy-focused city to develop, nurture and market a clean-tech incubator that is centrally located in Highlands Ranch
- incubator will attract and retain new business energy start-ups
- when start-up leaves incubator, goes public and earns a profit, city will enjoy a percentage of the profits as short term or long term revenue stream
- when the start-up is granted a U.S. Patent, city will receive long term royalty revenue stream
4. The future city of Highlands Ranch begins to attract new and established energy businesses that want to take part in the city culture that embraces and welcomes reform to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels
5. Major auto manufacturers recognize that Highlands Ranch voted to adopt change on energy consumption; an event which has never occurred anywhere else in the U.S. Auto companies use Highlands Ranch as the beta market for new technologies in high altitude. Residents can purchase these go-to-market vehicles at a discount.
Established interested stakeholders: Burt Automotive Network, South Metro Chamber of Commerce, Ford Motor Company. Other enterprises such as National Renewable Energy Lab, Xcel Energy, HRMD and HRCA have expressed an interest in assisting the THRS student research team.
In collaboration with the ThunderRidge High School seniors:
Business Plan Research – Iterative (now in 2nd year of research)
1. Establish new research teams called “Energy Efficiency Research Triads”
- TRHS student(s)
- Local university MBA student
- Energy expert consultant
2. The focus will be the land development on Shea-owned light industrial park land located near C-470 and Lucent Blvd. Land development to include the use of solar, wind and the clean tech incubator building for the new city government
3. Research modules to include (business plan/feasibility research; not a technical research document)
- Solar/wind site planning: location, costs, and benefits
- City Financing: Potential revenues such as state/federal grants, bonds, in order to start-up the city infrastructure
- Incubator Location, Design and Costs: work with a LEEDS building contractor to figure out the incubator business plan
- Transportation: How can domestic manufacturers leverage Highlands Ranch to beta test new energy efficient products?
- Energy Taxes: What energy-related taxes can be levied? Example: add a $100 energy surcharge on Highlands Ranch drivers convicted
of speeding. What type of sales tax can be levied?
- Marketing Communications: This is not a business plan but an actual marcom initiative to communicate the ThunderRidge High School research project progress to the community, local and state leaders and interested parties outside Colorado in 2007 and 2008
- Water Reclamation: explore feasibility to convert all common grass areas watered and maintained by HR Metro District to rock/high
desert plants
4. Special Research Project: Develop pilot program to retrofit residential garages for a natural gas fuel pump that refuels natural gas converted vehicles. Research includes feasibility, ROI, maintenance and go-to-market sales plan to get Highlands Ranch residents to use natural gas vehicles as their second auto.
