December 2025 | November 2025 | October 2025
December 2025
Fort Collins Utilities Earns National Award for Energy Innovation
Fort Collins Utilities has been honored with the Frost & Sullivan “Excellence in Resourcefulness – Energy” award, recognizing its innovative, community-focused approach to energy management. The utility has implemented programs like Time-of-Use pricing and a distributed energy resources management system (DERMS), partnering with Itron to integrate smart thermostats, EV chargers, and grid-interactive devices. These measures have enabled the city to shift about 750 MWh of energy annually to cleaner off-peak periods, reduce stress on grid infrastructure, and advance the city’s goals of 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Click here to read more.
Wellington Launches First-Ever Transportation & Mobility Plan
The Town of Wellington has launched its first Transportation and Mobility Plan — a community-driven roadmap to guide future investments in streets, sidewalks, trails, and travel options to improve how residents and visitors move around town. The plan aims to enhance safety, better manage growth, and strengthen everyday connections between neighborhoods, schools, and local businesses. The town is inviting residents to provide feedback via an interactive online map and survey, and staff will also gather input at community events over the next several weeks. The plan is slated for development throughout 2026, with multiple opportunities for public involvement. Click here for project updates and to explore an interactive map.
A New Look at RMNP’s Beginnings
The Rocky Mountain Conservancy has released a new history book highlighting the early exploration, origins, and formative years of Rocky Mountain National Park—offering readers a rich, detailed look at how the beloved park came to be. It’s an engaging read for park enthusiasts, history lovers, and anyone who cherishes Colorado’s natural legacy. And with the holidays around the corner, it also makes a perfect gift—available for purchase along with other books and maps at rmconservancy.org/product-category/books-maps/.
November 2025
TheTravel.com: Fort Collins named a most peaceful city
TheTravel.com recently featured Fort Collins as the most peaceful place in the state and among the top in the U.S., citing research that measured low average noise levels and high access to green spaces as key criteria. The outlet points to outdoor amenities like Horsetooth Reservoir, Lory State Park and the Cache la Poudre River whitewater area as underpinning the city’s blend of natural tranquility and community-oriented recreation. The combination of manageable noise, abundant parks and trails, and a small-city feel with outdoor access all contribute to its “peaceful place” designation. Click here to read the full article.
USDA Relocation sparks new economic momentum for Colorado
The relocation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Fort Collins presents a significant economic opportunity for Colorado’s agricultural sector, which already underpins nearly 200,000 jobs and billions in state economic output. The Institute projects that if up to 2,600 USDA employees relocate by 2026, the move could generate as much as $1.4 billion in business output and contribute around $854 million to Colorado’s GDP. The relocation also strengthens Colorado’s agricultural innovation ecosystem by aligning USDA resources with regional assets like Colorado State University and boosting collaboration, research, and workforce development in the industry. Click here to read the full report.
IRES 3rd Quarter Report
Information and Real Estate Services (IRES) recently released their Q3 2025 MarketWatch Report. In Larimer County, the median sales price was $600,000 for Q3-2025, a 1.1% increase year-over-year. The number of closed sales was up 14.5% increasing to 1,319. In Weld County, the median sales price was $514,945 for Q3-2025, a 0.1% decrease year-over-year. The number of closed sales was down 1.5%, coming in at 1,392. In Boulder County, the median sales price was $840,000 for Q3-2025, a 2.4% year-over-year increase. The number of closed sales was up 7.4%, coming in at 898.
October 2025
CSU & CU earn national recognitions
Colorado State University (CSU) rose to No. 2 in the nation and third worldwide in the Sustainable Campus Index, highlighting its long-standing commitment to environmental leadership, while the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder entered the top 100 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, ranking No. 97 overall and 46th among public universities, with strong showings in engineering, computer science, business, psychology, and more. Together, these accolades showcase CSU’s strength in sustainability and CU’s academic excellence, underscoring Colorado’s growing prominence in higher education.
Colorado restaurants earn Michelin Stars
In the 2025 Michelin Guide Colorado, The Wolf’s Tailor in Denver was elevated from one to two Michelin stars, becoming the state’s first restaurant to hold that distinction. Three additional restaurants earned their first one-star awards: Kizaki, Margot, and Mezcaleria Alma. Boulder’s Frasca Food & Wine maintained its star, and new Green Stars recognizing sustainability were awarded to The Wolf’s Tailor, Blackbelly Market, Bramble & Hare, and Bruto. Click here to read the full article.
Stanley Event Center Groundbreaking
At the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Stanley Event Center and Blumhouse Space in Estes Park, dignitaries dug into the dirt to kick off the first phase of a $60 million horror-themed expansion tied to the Stanley Hotel’s legacy. Blumhouse Productions CEO Jason Blum presented the organizers with a decade-old prop of his own severed head, to be displayed in the lobby, as representatives described the project as a year-round hub for film, art and horror exhibits, supported in part by state incentives and public-private investment. Click here to read more.