Draft:Eric R. Jacobson

Background
Eric Reus Jacobson, born November 8, 1955, is a hydroelectrical engineer based in Ouray, Colorado, known for his work on antique  hydroelectric renewable energy power plants in Southwestern Colorado. Eric Jacobson was born and raised in Grand Junction, Colorado and found a passion for hydrology and engineering at a young age.

Engineering and Hydroelectricity
Jacobson studied engineering and worked for a handful of engineering firms, oil companies and hydroelectric companies before founding his company, HydroWest in 1982. Jacobson taught himself to rehabilitate antique power-plants, namely the Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant and the | Ouray Hydroelectric Power Plant, using old manuscripts and engineering logs written by L. L. Nunn and other engineers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant, built in 1907, is perched on the edge of the 400-foot Bridal Veil Falls, and uses a glacial alpine lake as a natural reservoir. This antique generating station has a 2,000 megawatt-hour per year generating capacity. Jacobson lived at the Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant for nearly 30 years, with his family. .

The Ouray Hydroelectric Power Station was incorporated on December 6, 1885 and is one of the 4 oldest operating power plants in the world. Jacobson purchased the Ouray power plant in April 1992 for $10 at a city auction, from the Colorado-Ute Electric Association, a utility that was in bankruptcy and unable to make the needed repairs. Jacobson restored the dam, replaced pipe, and modernized the powerhouse. In the spring of 1994, the power plant was able to once again produce electricity. Public Service Company of Colorado contracted to sell the power which is wheeled to Denver to be used in the grid

Jacobson has owned, operated, and consulted on projects both in the United States and abroad; and has developed over 400 mW of power generation projects via HydroWest and other stand-alone subsidiaries. These subsidiaries include Cogen Technologies, where he was VP of Engineering, and Colorado Greenhouse Inc., where he was VP of Operations. Jacobson is also a consultant on the mechanical and hydraulic elements of projects; including turbines, ditches, dams, and penstocks.

Ouray Ice Park
In December of 2023, Jacobson donated 8 acres of land under the Ouray Hydroelectric Reservoir to the City of Ouray, Colorado, to preserve public access to recreational ice climbing, which is economically vital to the City of Ouray. A 2022 economic study cited by the Colorado Gazette found the ice park directly or indirectly benefited Ouray to the tune of $17.8 million every year.