Douglas County Board of Education
April 20, 2010
2006 – 2010: 35 TRHS Seniors
- Goal: H.R. becomes the first energy
city in the world & Gov. Ritter visits
TRHS to meet the project seniors
- Carole Jennings/Derek Chaney
- Seniors have to apply to join
- Accept the best and brightest
- Challenging assignments that even
adults will find hard to do
2006-07 Class Year
Five Seniors
Short Term Vision: Energy city
operation that owns and
manages a clean tech
incubator.
Long Term Vision: Empower
the Highlands Ranch residents
to become energy self reliant
by the year 2020.
2007-08 Class Year
16 Seniors
1. Clean Tech Energy Incubator
2. Wind Power
3. Solar Power
4. Compressed Natural Gas
Fueling Stations
5. Xeriscape Highlands Ranch
2008-09 Class Year
Nine Seniors
1. Auto Speed Energy Fines
2. Wind Anemometer Tower
3. Hydrogen Home Fuel Cells
4. Amend Colorado Constitution
5. 2,400 H.R. Household Survey
2009-10 Class Year
Four Seniors
Focusing on the two most
challenging carry-over projects
from last year:
1. Wind Anemometer Tower
2. Amend Colorado Constitution
L-R: Mitch Horacek
Rachel Gross
Cameron Radtke
Dray Doddington
WHAT WAS DONE SINCE 2006
Four Years of Energy City Projects
1. Clean Tech Energy Incubator Design & Financing
2. Wind Anemometer Tower Site Planning & Execution
3. Solar Power Design for Clean Tech Energy Incubator
4. Automobile Compressed Natural Gas Home Fueling Stations Pilot
5. Xeriscape Highlands Ranch for Water Conservation Study
6. Automobile Speeding Ticket Energy Fine Study
7. Hydrogen Home Fuel Cells Research
8. Amend Colorado Constitution to Create Energy Cities
9. 2,400 Highlands Ranch Homeowner Energy City Survey
Four Years of Accomplishments
- 35 TRHS seniors have participated in the energy city project
- Designed architectural renderings for the clean tech incubator
- Assembled an incubator construction cost pro forma and
financing package
- 17 presentations: HRCA, HRMD, Doug Co. Commissioners, South Metro
Chamber, HR Chamber, Xcel Energy board of directors, Young
Republicans Group and Ranchview Middle School.
- Energy city partners, Burt Automotive and South Metro Chamber
formed their own clean tech incubator partnership at Stapleton – from
concept to reality
- Governor Ritter visited TRHS to meet the energy city research project
seniors
- Bill Gates sends letter of support
Energy City Survey Results
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.
In regards to funding the energy city incubator in Highlands
Ranch, over 68% of the survey respondents support a tax
increase of at least $5 per month.
63% of the Highlands Ranch households answered “Yes,” if they
would like to see Highlands Ranch become the first energy city in
the world.
TRHS Seniors Worked With…
-
Burt Automotive Network
Senators and Legislators acting as lobbyist
Centennial Water & Sanitation
CH2M Hill
Concepts West Architecture
Douglas County School District
Energistic Systems
Ford Motor Company
Governor’s Energy Office
Highlands Ranch Community Association
Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce
Invenergy
Merrill Lynch
Metro District of Highlands Ranch
Mountain Ridge Middle School
NREL
Shea Homes
South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce
Xcel Energy
Mitch Horacek, Rachel Gross, Cameron Radtke, Dray Doddington
WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW
HRMD Board of Directors Meeting
Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce
Douglas County Commissioners
Senator Shaffer’s Office
Two Goals for 2009-10 Class Year
1. Erect wind anemometer tower
2. Amend the Colorado Constitution to Allow
Formation of Energy Cities
Wind Anemometer Tower Project
•Project started in 2007
•To install an anemometer tower to test winds in
the Highlands Ranch area
• Determine if wind generated power is feasible
• Working with Douglas County, Shea Properties
and other government entities to get proper
permits, site location and erect the tower
Wind Anemometer Tower
Location
Anemometer Project Outcomes
•Device will collect and
measure daily wind velocity
and directional patterns
over a 12 month period
•Findings will be published in
the year 2011
•If voters approve energy
incubator and wind towers,
energy produced will power
the incubator and contiguous
homes and businesses near
incubator
Amend the Colorado Constitution
Project started in 2008
Lobbying political leaders at the state capitol
Legislator McNulty
Senate President Brandon Shaffer
Seeking a bipartisan House Bill to let cities
achieve an energy city designation
Amend the Colorado Constitution
• Allows any community in Colorado to form
an energy city dedicated to one service –
energy (products and/or services)
• Energy city can start their own clean tech
for-profit local government enterprise
• Energy city will attract clean tech businesses
to increase employment, foster higher wages
and empower the residents to be self
sufficient on their energy requirements
What Does This Do for Colorado?
If Energy City House Bill Passes
and Voters Approve Amendment in November
• Communities across Colorado can vote at community level to incorporate
as an energy city
• If local vote passes, newly formed energy city can begin to develop and
market their clean technology energy products and/or services
• Energy city examples:
- Whitewater, CO – Hydro Electric Energy City – they create
their own hydro electric power facility to become energy self reliant
- Otis, CO – Bio Fuel Energy City - local farmers grow crops to conduct
bio fuel research
- Highlands Ranch, CO – Clean Tech Incubator Energy City – attract and
retain clean tech start-up companies
Colorado Energy City Partnerships
• working together
• sharing ideas
• innovation generation
• empower the residents
• creates jobs
What Does This Do for Highlands Ranch?
If Highlands Ranch Approves Energy City
what does the clean tech incubator do?
• Bring Highlands Ranch into clean energy
movement on a grand scale
• Diversifies the local economy
• Attracts companies to relocate to an energy
city local economy – means more jobs
• Solidifies the local tax base for Douglas County
• Residents reap the financial rewards –
eventually have energy city government
payback the residents instead of the residents
paying local government
Highlands Ranch Clean Tech Incubator
Colorado Energy City Timeline
• November, 2010 – Statewide Colorado ballot
amendment – allows communities to start the
energy city incorporation voting process if they
want to
• November, 2011 – Highlands Ranch voters decide
if they want to form a local energy city
• June, 2012 – Construction commences to build the
25,000 sq ft clean tech business incubator
• June, 2013 – Energy incubator opens
More Info: www.hrcleantech.com
Gross, Cameron Radtke, Mitch Horacek, Dray Doddington
Mitch Horacek,Rachel
Rachel
Gross, Cameron Radtke, Dray Doddington