To kick off the partnership, EEI Chairman Pat Vincent-Collawn, Chairman, President and CEO of PNM Resources, will deliver an opening keynote address on Wednesday, October 4, at the Council’s annual Smart Cities Week conference + exposition at the Washington Convention Center. Vincent-Collawn will discuss how electric companies and communities can partner together to advance smart communities.
“Electric companies can help take smart cities to the next level,” said Vincent-Collawn. “The electric power industry supports communities’ efforts to advance smarter energy infrastructure, and, electrification and advanced technologies are providing many ways electric companies can collaborate with communities. We are pleased to join efforts with the Smart Cities Council to assist and support these initiatives that will better serve our customers and the communities we serve.”
“For more than a century, electric companies have been partners for urban progress, building essential infrastructure to enable growth and prosperity,” said Jesse Berst, Chairman of the Smart Cities Council. “As we now transition to smart, sustainable cities, their close involvement is more important than ever.”
To recognize the role electric companies play in the success of smart city projects, electric companies can recommend cities and communities in their service territories to be awarded one of the Council’s 2018 Readiness Challenge grants. Each year, the Council provides a free Readiness Workshop plus free products and services to five cities, as judged by a panel. Cities receive extra points toward winning if they supply a letter of support from their electric company.
Electric companies that wish to register for their free Council membership can do so online at: /partner-update-information
Cities, counties, states, provinces, and regional authorities from the United States, Canada and Mexico that wish to review the online application for a 2018 Readiness Challenge grant can do so online at: http://smartcitiescouncil.com/scc-2018-readiness-challenge-info
Those who wish to attend Smart Cities Week can register online at: https://smartcitiesweek.com/2017-Washington/
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About Edison Electric Institute
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Its members provide electricity for about 220 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to its U.S. members, EEI has more than 60 international electric companies with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members. Organized in 1933, EEI provides public policy leadership, strategic business intelligence, and essential conferences and forums.
About the Smart Cities Council
The Smart Cities Council is the world’s largest smart cities network and the leader in smart cities education. The Council envisions a world where digital technology and intelligent design are harnessed to create smart, sustainable cities with high-quality living and high-quality jobs. It helps cities that seek to achieve its three core values of livability, workability and sustainability. The Council is the author of the internationally recognized Smart Cities Readiness Guide, which provides guiding principles and proven techniques for an integrated, cross-cutting smart city.
Media Contact:
Sarah Blanchard
Smart Cities Council
sarah.blanchard@smartcitiescouncil.com
301-798-3230
Kristin Rudman
Manager, Media Relations
Edison Electric Institute
krudman@eei.org
(202) 508-5155
