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WEEK OF APRIL 17, 2025
VOLUME 98 | ISSUE 20
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Price tag for women’s soccer project: $70M Denver proposes a two-part spending package for land and improvements BY PAOLO ZIALCITA AND ANDREW KENNEY DENVERITE
explained, Wright did help accelerate the project by reducing permit processing and approval times for contracting and executing the construction work. After addressing the NREL employees, Wright and Keller hosted a small press conference in the Energy Systems Integration Facility. When asked about federal employee layoffs and whether the public should expect any more, Wright didn’t give a definitive answer. President Donald Trump’s administration has previously stated it wants to eliminate government employee positions through reductions in force. Then, on April 1, the DOE announced it was preparing for a “restructuring” but didn’t say more, according to Politico.
The city of Denver could spend $70 million to buy land for a women’s soccer stadium and make improvements near the site in the Baker neighborhood, according to a newly released city document. The unnamed new National Women’s Soccer League team had already unveiled its plan to build a stadium as part of a mixed-used development adjacent to the Broadway Station light rail stop — but details on the finances have been short. Now, the city is proposing a twopart public spending package to support the project. The city could spend up to $50 million to buy land for the stadium and make improvements on the site, which is near Interstate 25 and Broadway. Another $20 million could go to parks, trails, a bridge and other improvements in the surrounding area. Improved infrastructure around the stadium could “increase its benefit and enjoyment by neighbors and visitors.” The city would own the stadium land permanently, allowing it to repurpose the property if the team ever leaves. The stadium is set to anchor a larger 41-acre development known as Santa Fe Yards, which could include a mix of residential and other uses by 2028. Mayor Mike Johnston previously said the city’s commitment to the project would be limited to land acquisition and infrastructure costs. He said the construction of the stadium itself would be fully funded by the team’s ownership. The stadium is planned to be tightly integrated with nearby public park space and more, according to the presentation. A rendering shows a stadium with one end opening toward a green lawn and pavilion.
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U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright addresses members of the media April 3 while visiting NREL’s Golden campus. Wright discussed the need to PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN bolster the country’s electricity grid, saying demand has stayed relatively flat over the last 20 years while costs have gone up.
U.S. Energy secretary to NREL employees: ‘unleash all your energies, talents’ at Golden visit Chris Wright touts public-private partnerships for AI data centers BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With wide-scale layoffs, budget cuts and more, the past three months haven’t been easy for federal government employees and contractors. However, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright looked to provide some encouragement April 3 as he visited the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Golden campus. In addressing NREL’s 4,000 employees — whether in Golden, at another campus or in the field — Wright told them how much he enjoyed his visit, saying, “Not all my days have been as awesome as today.” Wright, who’s from the Denver area, has a background in oil and natural gas as well as solar, geothermal and nuclear energy. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate
on Feb. 3 and sworn in later that day. Wright told NREL employees how they’re doing critical work, saying he wants to help them however he can so that NREL and other U.S. Department of Energy employees can “unleash all of your energies and talents” and “focus on science and technology, and not on bureaucracy.” To that end, he said he signed secretarial orders to ensure work could get done faster and cheaper. As an example, Wright and NREL Director Martin Keller explained how, after Wright assumed office, Keller asked Wright to help accelerate construction of the Golden campus’ Energy Materials and Processing at Scale, or EMAPS, facility. NREL broke ground on it last year and it’s expected to be completed in 2027. As Keller and other NREL officials later
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