The US state of New Mexico will soon be home to a 32 km² mock city, complete with highways, houses and commercial buildings. Structures will be erected to model various styles, old and new, to make it more realistic. Its Stephen King-esque name, 'The Center', seems fitting of a city that will be home to no one.

The US$200 million city will be used to test new renewable energy infrastructure, smart grids, traffic systems, wireless networks and more, according to Washington, D.C.-based tech firm Pegasus Global Holdings. The company announced plans Tuesday to build the ghost town on state-owned land somewhere in New Mexico, according to the Associated Press. 

The project, which the company says will be the first of its kind in the U.S., will let research institutions and private companies test new technologies in a real-world setting. Although there will be no human occupants, buildings could be tested just as they would if people were using them - different thermostat settings among neighbors would impact how a smart grid modulates energy, for instance. This would be more useful than simply using computer simulations in a lab.

The Center's presence in New Mexico ensures it will be close (at least fairly close, it's the West) to the state's lineup of federal labs and research centers.

The Center would make money by charging researchers to use the facilities, according to CEO Bob Brumley. It would also sublease some of its state land for the development of a non-ghost town at its perimeter, where living humans visiting The Center could come to stay and eat.

New Mexico state leaders have been working with Pegasus for 18 months, AP reported. Brumley is in the process of selecting a site for the ghost town, but it will be a few months before everything is final.

[Washington Post]