Tesla the Movie In 1899, Nikola Tesla's ideas and experiments were far too large for his New York laboratory. Many of his general plans had already been pirated and he could not risk any more losses due to spy activity. He longed for open space and privacy. After secretly searching the country for the best location for his new lab, Tesla decided on Colorado Springs. This decision was based on many factors, the foremost being free land and electricity from the Colorado Springs Electric Company. Tesla also discovered that the area was ideal for conducting electrical experiments as well as observing the immense electrical storms of the region. Tripping the Light Electric is an independent short about Nikola Tesla's time in Colorado Springs from 1899 to 1900. The film was executive produced by the SmokeBrush Foundation.