The Center, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
The Center, officially known as The Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation, is a planned facility designed to test new technologies, particularly renewable natural energy
. It will be a city of up to 20 square miles in size with no permanent population
. Due to the lack of people, The Center has been called a ghost town
. The Center will be built in New Mexico
by the technology company Pegasus Global Holdings. The company's decision to build the city arose from their own testing needs.
.” Because it is a city, The Center’s testing environment will be more realistic than a laboratory’s
. In order to be useful for testing new technologies, The Center will have functional utilities and telecommunications. Researchers will be able to control such things as thermostat
settings and when the toilets flush through computer systems. To further the realism of The Center, the buildings, both houses and commercial structures, will be created in older and newer styles. The design of the center is inspired in part by Walt Disney World. Like Disney, The Center has the “fun stuff” above ground, while the maintenance systems
are largely underground. The Center’s lack of residents enables experiments as well. Researchers can test potentially dangerous technology, like driverless vehicles, without putting anyone in harm’s way. In addition to addressing safety concerns, The Center allows researchers to experiment with technology that, “for practical, financial, [or] bureaucratic…reasons,” could not be done in an inhabited area.
. The Albuquerque
-Santa Fe
corridor and land near Las Cruces
are possible locations. Pegasus Global Holdings wants to build on public land
but has received many offers from owners of private land
. Pegasus Global Holdings’ CEO, Robert H. Brumley, said New Mexico
was chosen in part because “the state’s leadership in science and technology, strong university system, national laboratories, military bases, renewable energy resources, developing commercial space industry, motivated work force, and land availability made New Mexico an ideal location for The Center.” The Center will make money by charging the researchers for access and through user fees
. Additionally, The Center will sell its surplus of utilities, “such as power generation, water treatment, and wireless infrastructure.” A third source of revenue will be created by subleasing some of the land outside The Center for the construction of an inhabited town for visitors to The Center. Pegasus Global Holdings hopes to begin creating The Center in June 2012 and be operational by June 2014.
-based Pegasus Global Holdings estimates that the cost of construction of The Center will be about 200 million U.S. dollars. It will be one of only a few private companies
to have built such a testing site. Pegasus Global Holdings also expects to create 350 jobs with this project, and indirectly create 3,500 more as a result of associated needs. The company currently has a Memorandum of Understanding
with the State of New Mexico
to study the project’s requirements, and plans to conduct a five-month feasibility study
. The State of New Mexico
, which has already been working with Pegasus Global Holdings for over a year, is assisting with this study through non-financial means.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. It will be a city of up to 20 square miles in size with no permanent population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
. Due to the lack of people, The Center has been called a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
. The Center will be built in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
by the technology company Pegasus Global Holdings. The company's decision to build the city arose from their own testing needs.
Design
The purpose of The Center is to “provide the opportunity for 'end-to-end' testing, evaluation and demonstration of new intelligent and green technologies and innovationsInnovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
.” Because it is a city, The Center’s testing environment will be more realistic than a laboratory’s
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
. In order to be useful for testing new technologies, The Center will have functional utilities and telecommunications. Researchers will be able to control such things as thermostat
Thermostat
A thermostat is the component of a control system which regulates the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint temperature. The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or regulating the flow of a heat transfer...
settings and when the toilets flush through computer systems. To further the realism of The Center, the buildings, both houses and commercial structures, will be created in older and newer styles. The design of the center is inspired in part by Walt Disney World. Like Disney, The Center has the “fun stuff” above ground, while the maintenance systems
Maintenance, repair, and operations
Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
are largely underground. The Center’s lack of residents enables experiments as well. Researchers can test potentially dangerous technology, like driverless vehicles, without putting anyone in harm’s way. In addition to addressing safety concerns, The Center allows researchers to experiment with technology that, “for practical, financial, [or] bureaucratic…reasons,” could not be done in an inhabited area.
Construction
While an exact location has not yet been selected, The Center will be located somewhere in the state of New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
-Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
corridor and land near Las Cruces
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
are possible locations. Pegasus Global Holdings wants to build on public land
Public land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
but has received many offers from owners of private land
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
. Pegasus Global Holdings’ CEO, Robert H. Brumley, said New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
was chosen in part because “the state’s leadership in science and technology, strong university system, national laboratories, military bases, renewable energy resources, developing commercial space industry, motivated work force, and land availability made New Mexico an ideal location for The Center.” The Center will make money by charging the researchers for access and through user fees
User fees
People pay user fees for the use of many public services and facilities. At the federal level in the US, there is a charge for walking to the top of the Statue of Liberty, to drive into many National parks, and to use particular services of the Library of Congress.States may charge tolls for...
. Additionally, The Center will sell its surplus of utilities, “such as power generation, water treatment, and wireless infrastructure.” A third source of revenue will be created by subleasing some of the land outside The Center for the construction of an inhabited town for visitors to The Center. Pegasus Global Holdings hopes to begin creating The Center in June 2012 and be operational by June 2014.
Pegasus Global Holdings
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based Pegasus Global Holdings estimates that the cost of construction of The Center will be about 200 million U.S. dollars. It will be one of only a few private companies
Privately held company
A privately held company or close corporation is a business company owned either by non-governmental organizations or by a relatively small number of shareholders or company members which does not offer or trade its company stock to the general public on the stock market exchanges, but rather the...
to have built such a testing site. Pegasus Global Holdings also expects to create 350 jobs with this project, and indirectly create 3,500 more as a result of associated needs. The company currently has a Memorandum of Understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
with the State of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to study the project’s requirements, and plans to conduct a five-month feasibility study
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
. The State of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, which has already been working with Pegasus Global Holdings for over a year, is assisting with this study through non-financial means.