FLEXIBLE, CLEAN INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POWER STRONG ECONOMIES

The document proposes an "energy park" model that co-locates renewable generation with flexible industrial loads and long-duration storage to replace retiring coal capacity. Using Pueblo, Colorado, as a case study, the authors model a system combining 2,000 MW of solar, 1,600 MW of wind, short-duration batteries, and flexible loads (thermal batteries and electrolyzers). The findings indicate that such a park can achieve 99% reliability in mimicking the dispatch of the Comanche Unit 3 plant while providing significant local economic benefits, including over $40 million in annual property taxes and 350 permanent jobs. Financially, the energy park is estimated to be at least 50% cheaper for electricity ratepayers than a comparable small modular nuclear reactor.

• An energy park in Pueblo can achieve 99 percent reliability in matching the target generation profile of Comanche Unit 3, which is an improvement over the actual coal plant's 90 percent reliability. The model shows that over 40 percent of the energy generated remains within Pueblo County to support industrial activity.
• The proposed energy park could generate more than 350 permanent jobs and over $40 million in annual property tax revenue for Pueblo County. These benefits could begin accruing before the coal plant's scheduled retirement in 2031 by re-using existing infrastructure.
• The energy park is significantly more cost-effective for Colorado electricity customers than a small modular nuclear reactor. The overall cost is approximately 30 percent lower, and the specific costs passed to electricity ratepayers are roughly halved because industrial customers pay for a significant portion of the capital investment.
• The energy park model consists of four integrated components: renewable energy (2,000 MW solar and 1,600 MW wind), 500 MW of short-duration battery storage, flexible industrial loads (800 MW thermal batteries and 400 MW electrolyzers), and long-duration storage (1,600 MW of on-site thermal batteries).
• Flexible industrial loads, such as thermal batteries and hydrogen electrolyzers, improve the economics and reliability of the park by absorbing excess electricity, thereby reducing curtailment and surplus energy.
• The energy park supports Colorado's state policy goals, specifically the clean electricity standard (100 percent clean retail sales by 2050) and the clean heat standard (22 percent reduction in heating emissions by 2030).
• Key deployment barriers include the need to attract industrial customers to serve as flexible loads and the requirement for the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to establish a framework for pricing power for these loads.

APA

Gimon, E., & Solomon, M. (2025). FLEXIBLE, CLEAN INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POWER STRONG ECONOMIES. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Energy-Parks-Comanche-Case-Study.pdf

Chicago

Gimon, Eric, and Michelle Solomon. FLEXIBLE, CLEAN INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POWER STRONG ECONOMIES. Energy Innovation, 2025. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Energy-Parks-Comanche-Case-Study.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gimon |first1=Eric |last2=Solomon |first2=Michelle |title=FLEXIBLE, CLEAN INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POWER STRONG ECONOMIES |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=April 2025 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Energy-Parks-Comanche-Case-Study.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gimon2025flexible, author = {Gimon, Eric and Solomon, Michelle}, title = {{FLEXIBLE, CLEAN INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POWER STRONG ECONOMIES}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Energy-Parks-Comanche-Case-Study.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }