A new whitepaper – Creating a Smart City Roadmap for Public Power Utilities – has been published by the American Public Power Association (APPA) in partnership with SmartEnergy IP to help cities and utilities simplify implementation of smart city programs. The paper offers guidelines and recommendations for public power utilities planning their investments in smart technologies while enhancing customer experience and their communities.
“Public power utilities play a unique and important role in smart city efforts,” said Paul Zummo, the APPA’s director of policy research and analysis. “This roadmap serves as a first step in educating public power utilities about how they can be leaders in smart city efforts as part of their transformation to utilities of the future.”
Communication, coordination, and proactivity between the public and private sector and utilities are stressed. An initial set of key questions to ask when considering the implementation of a smart cities program is suggested, including which stakeholders to include in the planning, which materials to develop to support the project, and other key operational considerations. The paper also includes a proposed “map” to begin laying information down into a shareable internal and external document to help communicate internally – and to stakeholders – the utility’s smart city plan.
Juliet Shavit, CEO of SmartEnergy IP, said: “It is a pivotal time for today’s utilities as they undergo industry transformation. We were pleased to help with this paper since public power companies play a critical role in the future development of their communities. From smart grid to smart cities, they must leverage the latest advancements in connected technologies to improve the well-being of their citizens.”
