Electric Utilities' Role in Promoting and Advancing Smart City Solutions

As their population density grows, cities need to consider how to use technology to better serve the environmental, social, and economic well-being of its citizens. Many smart city action plans focus on the foundational and tech-enabled strategies that seek to find solutions to complex issues such as mobility, infrastructure and education. Utilities can play a pivotal role in deploying technologies, processes, and planning in the service of societal impacts to support smart city goals of finding green, sustainable, connected solutions for their residents and businesses. To illustrate, we highlight key projects and programs of an electric utility serving northern Illinois, including Chicago. These projects and programs utilize technology to further societal aims such as promoting STEM learning in the next generation; reinforcing community safety; and investigating micro-transit mobility options.