The Polis administration and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the next stage in bringing to life a nation-leading, innovative Global Energy Park (Glo Park) in Golden, Colorado. With the completion of land swaps between the Department of Energy, the State of Colorado, and Jefferson County, the Glo Park has garnered attention from international companies spearheading energy transition. The campus will be located within walking distance of NREL in the heart of Colorado’s internationally recognized energy research and innovation ecosystem, further cementing Colorado’s role at the nexus of renewable energy innovation and collaboration.
“This innovation campus builds upon our bold work creating good-paying jobs for Coloradans, saving people money on energy bills, and continuing to make progress on our goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040,” said Governor Polis. “This is an exciting step in the process to bring Glo Park to life and continuing Colorado’s leadership in the renewable energy sector.”
The Glo Park is already attracting industry, government, and academia to come to the Glo Park to collaborate and lead the global transition toward clean, renewable, sustainable, and equitable energy solutions. Glo Park will also provide educational opportunities for students of all ages, helping to build the next generation of energy leaders.
“Jefferson County has a long history of not just talking about sustainability efforts, but being the leader in research, development, and action for the energy transition of the future,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr. “The Glo Park partnership between DOE, the State of Colorado, and Jefferson County sends a strong signal that we will continue to lead by example in this industry transformation, not just regionally but globally, while creating essential jobs for our community.”
Last year, the Capitol Development Committee unanimously approved a land swap to lay the foundation for the development of Glo Park in Jefferson County. Earlier this year, prospective developers were invited to submit proposals to partner with the State of Colorado in a long-term ground lease to build the envisioned “north campus” of Glo Park, a suite of buildings housing prominent companies dedicated to the future of energy. Prospective tenants have already begun signing letters of intent to assure themselves of space within the park.
“The benefits of bringing NREL collaborators closer to the main NREL campus and the importance of establishing an ‘Innovation Hub’ in Colorado cannot be understated. Our world demands urgent and immediate climate action with participation from global contributors across organizational types and from all demographic groups. Our strength is in working together and meeting future energy needs and will require the greatest minds assembled in inclusive collaboration. For NREL’s commercial partners, Glo Park will provide a centralized stage to accelerate technologies into the marketplace and drive global climate initiatives,” said Dr. Martin Keller, NREL Laboratory Director and Alliance President.