Last weekend, communities along the Front Range of Colorado experienced a record-breaking heat wave, with temperatures rising over 100 degrees. In the state and across the country, heat has intensified and become more frequent. Such events are significantly impacting communities and are particularly an issue for vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those without air conditioning. 

To prepare for extreme heat and other climate impacts, communities in the North Front Range – an area spanning Fort Collins to Denver – are developing climate resilience efforts; from Larimer County’s Climate Smart Future Ready plan and the city of Longmont’s Resiliency for All project to Denver’s heat and Urban Forest initiative.  

This week, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is heading to the region to hold a workshop to accelerate the climate resilience efforts happening within the North Front Range.  

The collaborative event will convene diverse leaders from local and state governments, community-based organizations, and local businesses, to connect and share valuable insights for advancing wildfire and heat-ready resilience hubs and microgrids. These insights will inform key components of a regionally tailored implementation toolkit.  

Microgrids and community resilience hubs are two solutions that can be used individually or in tandem to help communities access air conditioning, filtered air, electricity, water, and other life-saving resources and services during extreme weather events like heat waves and wildfires.  

North Front Range communities have already begun developing resilience hubs and microgrid solutions, like the hubs in Denver that served as cooling centers during the heatwave last weekend. This workshop is the second event of a 3-part collaborative series to inform, connect, and empower key stakeholders. Participants will draw on local experiences and plans to accelerate aligned action across the region that can lead or facilitate resilience hubs and microgrids to serve communities and vulnerable neighborhoods across the region.  

This set of solutions are one of the 7 key action areas identified in the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator that C2ES launched in 2023 to coordinate and accelerate public, private, and community action on wildfire and heat resilience in the North Front Range.