Due to concerns from climate change to power disruptions, some cities are showing interest in taking over the electricity business from private utilities. There is also a growing interest in alternative public power opportunities, such as Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). So the municipal utility movement is gaining steam. Or is it? We hear a lot from leading municipalities, as well as their smart grid and renewable efforts—such as SMUD’s smart grid work and the ruckus of Boulder, Colorado’s municipalization work—but questions abound regarding how far along are municipal utilities in creating an energy revolution. Fact or Fiction: The Municipal Utility Revolution considers the benefits and challenges of U.S. municipal utilities and municipalization, along with where the municipal utility is heading in the next several years. Leveraging its first-hand knowledge of municipal utility efforts, Zpryme delivers information about:
- Municipal utility opportunities, including CCAs, smart cities and small-scale energy production
- Municipal utility challenges, from smart grid investment costs to regulatory changes
- Innovative municipal utility efforts, including mini-case studies from Fort Collins, Colorado to Roseville, California.
Some Recommendations from the Report
- Municipal utilities and cities should consider the changing business model opportunities for public power. For example, a CCA has the power to change the definition of a utility and how it can best support a community.
- These organizations should also consider the opportunity to move beyond the core business of energy provider into diverse segments such as a transportation service operator. Municipal utilities can generate additional revenue streams if they offer add-on products and services.
- Service and solution providers should consider offering managed services that eliminate—or vastly reduce—upfront technology costs that can enable municipalities to build smart-city networks and add applications at their own pace.
Regions and Countries Considered
- U.S.
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- Boulder, Colorado
- CPS Energy
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Electric Power Board (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
- Florida Power & Light
- GE
- Iberdrola Renewables
- Itron
- Landis+Gyr
- Long Island Power Authority
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- Marin Clean Energy
- Milsoft
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- National Grid
- NStar
- PowerServices Inc.
- Pacific Gas & Electric
- Roseville Electric (Roseville, California)
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Siemens
- Silver Spring Networks
- Sonoma Clean Power
- Southern California Edison
- Sunverge Energy
- Tacoma Power
- Vero Beach, Florida
- Xcel Energy
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Residing in Austin, Zpryme is a research, media, and events agency with a focus on energy. Based on the creative direction of our associates Zpryme, produces influential research, Energy Thought Summit (ETS), and premium branding experiences that challenge the status quo.