Highlands Ranch - Alternative Fuel City of the Future

16 ThunderRidge High School (TRHS) seniors have joined together to develop a business plan for the Future City of Highlands Ranch Renewable Energy research project. This is the second year that TRHS seniors have researched creative ways to create a city government that is 100% focused on an energy platform.

The seniors met for the first time on October 25 to decide which research module they want to focus on during the 2007-08 school year.

The Six Research Modules Are:

1. Clean Tech Energy Incubator Building
2. City Financing for City Start-up and Ongoing Year
3. Solar/Wind
4. Automotive Transportation
5. Water Conservation
6. Marketing Communications to the Community

This blog is receiving local, national and worldwide attention. In the last 30-days, United States visitors to the blog have represented the U.S. Department of Transportation, California State Polytechnic University, Douglas County Commissioners, and the Ford Motor Company.

Worldwide visitors have come from these countries:
- India
- Ireland
- Canada
- UK
- Australia
- Chile
- Turkey
- Italy
- Sweden

The top 10 keyword phrases used in Google to find this blog in September are:
- highlands ranch renewable energy
- alternative fuel companies in colorado
- highlands ranch energy
- solar incentive in highlands ranch
- off the grid property
- 2008 awd ford escape hybrid
- alternative fuels
- alternative fuels energy future city plans
- alternative fuels for the future
- alternative fuel internships 2008 automotive

On Tuesday, October 2, we made a brief presentation to the parents and to some of the TRHS seniors who attended the 7pm meeting to explain the 2007-08 “Future City of Highlands Ranch” Renewable Energy Research project. There was a lot of parent and senior interest and energy research applications were handed out. The next day, a 10 minute presentation was made to the entire senior class.