National Western Center

The National Western Center is a year-round urban hub for food and ag discovery — in the heart of the American West.

Officially launched on April 2020. When complete in 2024, people from all walks of life will convene on the campus and online to lead, inspire, create, educate and entertain in pursuit of global food solutions.

In an innovative approach to an operational necessity, the campus will source nearly 90 percent of its heating and cooling from a recycled source of thermal energy — a sewer pipeline that runs through the site — rather than burning fossil fuels. It’s all part of our commitment to sustainability.

District energy systems pump warm water via a closed-loop network of pipes from a central plant to a group of buildings, instead of each building having its own heating and cooling system. The results are high efficiency, lower capital costs and a reliable and resilient energy source during outages.

Based on its low-profile design, the district energy system will have virtually no external impact on surrounding uses.