Smart Cities Round Up - 20 DECEMBER 2024

Cities around the globe are breaking new ground in renewable energy adoption, demonstrating bold leadership in tackling carbon emissions and building resilient energy systems.

In the United States, the City of Cambridge has announced a 50MW virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with the Prairie Solar project in Illinois. This agreement, the largest of its kind undertaken by a US city, represents a significant step forward in clean energy procurement. Notably, this VPPA targets residential carbon emissions, making it the first US city to prioritise this sector over operational emissions. Developed by BayWa r.e. Global and operated by MN8 Energy , the Prairie Solar project showcases how innovative community-driven solutions, like the Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB), can facilitate large-scale clean energy investments.

Meanwhile, Ville d'Edmundston in Canada is making strides in renewable energy with the Solstice microgrid project, the largest rooftop solar installation in Atlantic Canada. Developed in partnership with Ameresco and Edmundston Energy, the microgrid includes 1MW of solar capacity and a 2MWh battery energy storage system to ensure a reliable, sustainable power supply and enhance grid resilience. Solar panels will be installed on the Jean-Daigle Centre and Sports Pavilion, contributing to Edmundston's 2024-2028 Environmental Action Plan. This project not only underscores the city’s commitment to sustainability but also positions it as a leader in Atlantic Canada’s renewable energy transition.

Through innovative agreements and advanced solar technology, Cambridge and Edmundston are setting benchmarks for how cities can leverage renewable energy to drive sustainability, reduce emissions, and enhance energy resilience. These initiatives highlight the important role of local governments in accelerating the clean energy revolution.

A quick programming note as we approach the end of another packed year; this will be our final weekly newsletter of 2024, with our final daily newsletter to follow on Monday. There will be a handful of stories to stay tuned for during the holidays, with normal service resuming on 2 January 2025. We wish all of our readers a restful and no doubt well-earned break over the next few weeks, and look forward to resuming our journey to smarter, more sustainable cities with you in the new year.

Luke Antoniou , Senior editor, SmartCitiesWorld

Here is a round up of our other News this week:

1. Swansea Bay City Region hits major full fibre milestone
2. Glasgow rolls out solar programme for council-owned buildings
3. UK university progresses major carbon reduction plan
4. Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge winner announced
5. Which cities have the longest commutes and wait times?
6. More than $20m awarded in latest US airport infrastructure grants
7. Partnership to explore smart parking solutions in Saudi Arabia
8. Talq publishes latest smart lighting tender template
9. Lancashire County Council deploys AI to improve bus network
10. US city of Cambridge announces VPPA with Illinois solar project
11. DHL and Oxa partner on autonomous vehicle project at Heathrow
12. Dublin to host its first ever tech week
13. Pittsburgh Regional Transit launches account-based ticketing
14. City of Edmundston unveils microgrid project
15. Social housing residents move into ‘Zero Bills’ homes
16. Casablanca joins C40 Cities network
17. Oregon progresses energy-efficient buildings strategy

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