What Are Smart Utilities?

Smart utilities are energy (electric and gas) and water utilities that deploy connected devices across the grid and collect data that helps them deliver services more efficiently and reliably. They are one aspect of a smart city, helping an urban area be more sustainable, more responsive to natural and man-made events, and healthier for its residents. Utility companies’ operations are increasingly becoming digitized and intelligent, capable of collecting data about customer use and performing dynamic pricing, managing supply, and analyzing future resource needs. Devices used on a smart utility grid include smart meters and solar instrumentation, allowing for real-time energy purchases, rapid connection and disconnection services, monitoring and power-generation savings.