Niobrara Energy Park Engages CH2M HILL's IDC Architects to "Vision" the 640-acre Greenfield Energy Project

DENVER, Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Harrison Resource Corporation has collaborated with IDC Architects, a part of Denver-based CH2M HILL, to "vision" its Niobrara Energy Park, a project located in Weld County that will combine clean fossil fuels, alternative energy, smart grid, energy storage, renewable energy, research, and cloud computing data centers. CH2M HILL will develop a vision book for the park, complete with project details, the types of facilities and power sources it will include and more.

The 640-acre Niobrara Energy Park was approved in March 2011 by the Weld County Commissioners and the zoning plat was signed in August 2011, detailing more than 45 energy and data land uses. According to Craig Harrison, president of Harrison Resource, his company has conducted 21 feasibility studies on the project. "This region has $1.2 billion in economic activity, including power creation, data centers, natural gas plants and more," said Harrison. "The Fortune 100 companies investigating this project call it one of the largest 'utility-scale' MicroGrids on the planet, and Colorado Senator Mark Udall called it a 'private energy island.' We're very excited to engage with CH2M HILL and IDC Architects to continue working toward bringing this project to fruition within the next few years."

"It's exciting for us to be involved in what we believe to be one of the first projects of its kind," said Tim Meier, president of IDC Architects. IDC will develop the Niobrara Energy Park vision book by the end of 2011.

Within a close radius of Niobrara Energy Park is a multitude of energy and data-center initiatives, including BP Wind Energy's $300 million, 300-megawatt wind farm, Duke Energy wind farms, XCel Energy's Ponnequin Wind Farm and NASA's Aerospace Clean Energy Manufacturing and Innovation Park. Recently, Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power announced Wyoming's first natural gas-fired power plant. EchoStar is building an $80 million data center nearby. And at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center, one of the top 10 fastest supercomputers in the world is currently under construction, which boasts free, 97-percent-outdoor air cooling.

The Niobrara Energy Park is on the market as one project for a single buyer or joint venture.

About CH2M HILL

IDC Architects (www.idcarchitects.com) is a member of the CH2M HILL enterprise. Headquartered near Denver, Colorado, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm's work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy, facilities and resources. With US $6.3 billion in revenue and 23,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm. Learn more at www.ch2mhill.com.

About Niobrara Energy Park LLC

Niobrara Energy Park is a 640-acre project located near the Colorado-Wyoming border that will integrate natural gas and renewable energy generation facilities, including solar and wind energy, with data centers and energy research. Located in Colorado's epicenter of numerous clean-energy initiatives, Niobrara Energy Park has received widespread support from government officials, energy-industry leaders, researchers and many others throughout Colorado and across the nation. Learn more at www.niobraraenergypark.com.

Press Contact:
Craig Harrison
Phone: (970) 612-4100
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Harrison Resource Corporation