SAE Tomorrow Today Home Episodes Other SAE Podcasts

Episode 68 - Soaking Up the Sun: America’s First Solar-Powered Town

Welcome to Babcock Ranch: the hometown of the future. Powered entirely by 700,000 solar panels across 840 acres of land in sunny Florida, Babcock Ranch is an innovative town that combines everything Americana with the technologies of tomorrow: electric-powered ice cream trucks, city-wide Wi-Fi, expansive public green spaces, and the comfort of being part of a community. 

Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners — the founders of Babcock Ranch — joined us to share how he turned his vision for the future into reality — while making it economically viable along the way.

Meet Our Guest

 

SYDNEY KITSON
Chairman and CEO of Kitson and Partners

Syd Kitson is Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, a Florida-based real estate company specializing in the creation and development of master-planned communities and commercial properties. Kitson is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Kitson had a notable career in the National Football League, playing offensive guard for both the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. Upon his retirement from professional football in 1985, he began his career in real estate and founded Kitson & Partners in 1999. In 2006, Kitson completed the historic purchase of Babcock Ranch in Southwest Florida, encompassing more than 91,000 acres – an area five times the size of the island of Manhattan. Over 80% of the original land purchase, some 73,000 acres within Charlotte and Lee counties, has been preserved by the State of Florida and Lee County, in the largest single land preservation agreement in the state’s history. Syd lectures at Princeton University, and has served on multiple civic, education and non-profit boards. In addition to serving as Chair of the Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida, he is also Chair of the Florida Council of 100 and was elected the 2016-2017 Chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Our Host


 

GRAYSON BRULTE
Innovation Strategist & Co-Founder, Brulte & Company
 

Grayson Brulte is an autonomous mobility advisor and consultant who provides strategic counsel and political insights to help clients navigate what’s next.

As an SAE strategic partner since 2017, Grayson brings his in-depth industry knowledge to host SAE Tomorrow Today. His unique perspective factors in economics, politics and technology into one-of-kind weekly conversations with innovators changing mobility and its impact on society.

Grayson is a thought-leader who regularly provides insights to publications including Bloomberg, Reuters, The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter and Forbes. His written opinions and insights have been featured by organizations including the Consumer Technology Association in presentations to the Federal Trade Commission.

Listen to the full back catalog on your favorite podcast platform.

   

X