HomeMy WebLinkAbout999 - SUPPORTING the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Super ComputerRESOLUTION NO. 999
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE LOCATION OF THE UCAR/NCAR
DATA CENTER IN BOULDER, COLORADO
WHEREAS, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is a consortium of
69 universities that operates the National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR) in Boulder; and
WHEREAS, NCAR was established in Boulder over 40 years ago, with its first campus located
atop Table Mesa having become a landmazk in Boulder; and
WHEREAS, Between its three Boulder campuses, UCAR and NCAR contribute significantly
to the economic well-being of the City of Boulder and surrounding communities,
with annual revenues of approximately $200 million and employing over 1,300
staff; and
WHEREAS, The cutting-edge atmospheric research that is conducted at the labs along with
university, federal and other federally-funded labs in Boulder, creates a unique
worid-class research environment in the City of Boulder: and
WHEREAS, UCAR and NCAR have embarked on a project to build a state-of-the-art data
center to replace the supercomputing facility currently located at the NCAR Mesa
Laboratory, in order to provide the exponential growth in computing capacity that
will be needed to accomplish the grand challenges of the atmospheric and related
sciences. The NCAR data center will increase sustained computational capability
25-fold by 2010 and 100-fold by 2013, making this one of the most powerful
supercomputer facilities in the world; and
WHEREAS, NCAR has communicated with CU-Boulder and other Front Range universities
about hosting the 150,000 square-foot, $55 million facility on a university campus
in order to enhance the scientific and academic interactions associated with the
supercomputing center. NCAR and the universities expect that such a high-
performance data center will be a magnet to reseuchers worldwide, and the
economic impacts to the azea in which it is ultimately located will be significant
as the partnering university will create new institutes and expand its intellectual
expertise in the various disciplines of earth system science, energy research and
sustainability, and computer science. In addition, many private sector companies
will find it attractive to be located in close proximity to these cutting-edge
resources; and
WHEREAS, Tens of thousands of visitors to Boulder tour the NCAR Mesa Lab annually, and
it is expected that the new supercomputing facility would increase awazeness of
the existing laboratory facilities in Boulder, such as the NOAA and NIST labs and
the CU Reseazch Pazk, already home to the Laboratory for Atmospheric and
Space Physics and the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
BOULDER:
The City of Boulder would benefit greatly from the presence of the new supercomputing facility
in the City of Boulder.
The City of Boulder strongly supports the establishment of the new supercomputing facility in
the City of Boulder.
The City of Boulder will work with UCAR and NCAR in whatever manner possible and
appropriate to support the location of the supercomputing facility in the City of Boulder.
Approved this {Q~{-~ day of ;rin 1./ , 2006.
ATTG~~')": ~~ ~~
City Clerk on ,behalf of the~A/ 7
Director of Finance and Record
Mayor