The development of smart cities provides a platform for collaborative opportunities with utilities to develop new energy services and commercial opportunities. 

In an article for Western Energy Institute’s WE Magazine, Eric Woods, research director at Guidehouse Insights, discussed how utilities can partner with cities to help shape the evolution and development of the energy transformation to meet sustainability goals. The partnership would be beneficial from both an economic standpoint as well as energy transformation needs. 

Woods outlines six areas of focus for utilities to consider in their expansion of smart city activities:

• Engaging with local smart city stakeholder groups and leadership teams, and actively participating in the development of low-carbon city strategies
• Delivering benefits for all communities
• Creating platforms for the delivery of new energy services that can also be a launchpad for innovative urban service offerings
• Developing partnerships with technology providers
• Playing a role in the creation of new urban data systems
• Becoming key orchestrators of new urban energy platforms and the ecosystems they support

“The energy sector has a responsibility and an opportunity to work more closely with local governments to ensure that a renewed focus emerges on building more resilient, more sustainable and more equitable cities,” said he.