4 cities that get it - and 3 utilities with smarts

For countries around the globe that will be scrambling to accommodate an additional 2.7 billion people in the world’s cities by 2050, Lux Research has cited four initiatives as among the most replicable models. The report names Amsterdam, Stockholm, Colorado’s SmartGridCity and Portugal’s PlanIT Valley as model cities of the future.

 The report makes the point that policy and technology must go hand in hand in order to drive the development of efficient future cities.

"Technology companies need to understand the variety of models under which future cities develop so they can tap the widest channel to market in each case," said Ryan Castilloux, Lux Research analyst and the lead author of the report. "Cities like Singapore, Stockholm, Masdar, Incheon Free Economic Zone, and PlanIT Valley are structured to ensure integration and interoperability of technologies and systems across the urban value chain."

From smart cities to smart utilities

Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has been named one of the three most intelligent utilities in U.S. in the third annual UtiliQ rankings by Intelligent Utility magazine and the market research firm IDC Energy Insights. Scratching your head over that one?  Keep in mind they define an intelligent utility as "one that is productive, uses resources wisely, deploys information and technology to the best advantage, provides options to its customers, maintains reliability, and runs a sustainable business. The intelligent utility is steadfastly and thoughtfully re-aligning its objective, business processes and technology to prepare for the future."

PG&E came in second in this year’s rankings behind perennial winner San Diego Gas & Electric and ahead of Austin Energy.

"We're proud to be honored for our commitment to innovating on behalf of our customers," said Kevin Dasso, senior director of technology and information strategy at PG&E. "Whether modernizing our grid to make it 'smarter,'  providing some of the cleanest power in the industry, or helping customers find new ways to manage their energy better, we are focused on applying improved technology and practices to our core mission: delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy services."