2010
Douglas County School Board
Presentation
Download
the 2009 HRMD, Douglas County Commissioners and HRCA Energy City Presentation
Energy
City Clean Technology Incubator in Highlands Ranch is Dead
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
Your comments are welcome. Email: renewablehighlandsranch@hotmail.com
