IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge report for Burlington was released Wednesday. The report is designed to guide the city’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.
At a news conference at Burlington Electric Department, Mayor Miro Weinberger said the 50-page report outlines several steps to achieve Burlington’s goal to reduce energy consumption. The plan can be found here.
Weinberger promised to implement the plan set by the report during his administration, all of which is possible within the existing city budget, he said.
“We will make good on the short-term recommendations,” he said, referencing the city’s energy efficiency team beside him.
The report will guide the city’s future investments in infrastructure projects, Weinberger said.
The four key recommendations in the plan are to expand Smart Grid technology by enabling utilities to show customers how much they consume; expand and improve the McNeil Generating Station that produces heat and energy; promote the city’s electric vehicle car-sharing program; and increase energy efficiency in city homes and city buildings.
In November 2012, IBM awarded Burlington a $400,000 grant to create a sustainability plan. The grant paid for a team of experts from around the world to come to Burlington for three weeks to offer consultation.
Marian Lawlor, manager for IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs, said cities must lead the charge on combating climate change, which is what IBM’s program is designed to facilitate.
“To really be able to deliver systemic and long-term improvements, cities have to be able to look at their data and use it to take decisive action and re-engineer how governments work together with the private and nonprofit sectors to address critical societal issues,” Lawlor said.
