Smart cities utilize a bag of toolsets to make urban areas more livable, utilizing data-driven communication networks to interface all aspects of city services (such as electricity, water, transportation, health, traffic, police, public safety, etc.) and industry to make their operations more efficient, agile, responsive, safe, secure, and cost-effective.  

There are thousands of smart city tools with varying impacts on the community, including implementation costs, resources, and time. That’s why it's important to develop a comprehensive plan. The City of Austin and its electricity provider, Austin Energy, have been at the forefront of this effort. Austin Energy has been a major advocate of hybrid and electric vehicles and was also one of the first adopters of renewable energy resources like wind, solar, and biomass in Texas.

In this presentation, panelists will address the smart city innovative initiatives that the City of Austin and Austin Energy have taken and plan to take as part of their road map for zero carbon emission.