PR87418

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

CPS Energy, the nation's largest municipally owned electric and natural gas

provider based in San Antonio, is announcing a new agreement it has entered

with the City of San Antonio, AT&T, and Itron, to implement a pilot for Smart

Streetlight Technology.  This pilot will leverage CPS Energy's existing

lighting infrastructure and is just one more example of how the utility

continues to establish itself as a forward-thinking energy provider that is

eager to test global ideas that create helpful local solutions. This joint

effort aligns with SmartSA -- which is a consortium of partners comprised of

CPS Energy, the City of San Antonio, and other local entities with the goal of

leveraging data and technology to build a connected, inclusive, and resilient

community that supports high quality of life.

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As part of their Flexible Path (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3006321-2&h=3992707895&u=https%3A%2F%2Fcpsenergy.com%2Fcontent%2Fcorporate%2Fen%2Fabout-us%2Fenvironment%2Fflexpath.html&a=Flexible+Path

)SM, CPS Energy has thoughtfully positioned itself as an integral partner in

San Antonio's journey toward evolving its Smart City Strategy. To accomplish

this, the utility has focused on securing relationships with global technology

leaders that deliver new products, efficiencies, and solutions for their

customers and community. The utility continually looks for new organizations to

team with to bring innovative and technologically sound ideas that propel San

Antonio further into the emerging and global Smart City era.

"At CPS Energy, we believe great collaborators are key to implementing

game-changing Smart City solutions," said Paula Gold-Williams, President & CEO

of CPS Energy. "This approach and new initiative are parts of our creative and

broader Flexible Path Strategy, through which we embrace change and disruption,

while contributing to the global energy evolution that is already well

underway. Despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented, we

remain focused on moving our industry and our community forward. The project

that we are announcing today is another great example of how the right

collaborations will help the City of San Antonio and CPS Energy create viable

solutions to convert the challenges of developing a Smart City into new

opportunities for success.  Both AT&T and Itron are respected global technology

leaders, and we are proud to be entering into this strategic relationship

together."

As part of this SmartSA agreement, CPS Energy and the City of San Antonio

launched a smart streetlight sensor pilot program. Smart streetlight sensors

can provide near real-time operational performance of the utility's assets,

while enhancing service levels for their customers. Additionally, the City of

San Antonio will leverage these smart streetlights to test sensors focused on

the following:

    --  Air Quality,

    --  Temperature,

    --  Ambient Noise,

    --  Parking, and

    --  Flooding.

The goal is to evaluate the performance of sensing technology that can be

attached to CPS Energy's existing and more efficient LED lighting systems. The

evaluation will include data analysis to help us determine how to use it best

to serve our broader community and align with the City's Climate Action &

Adaptation Plan (CAAP) and ozone attainment goals. Aligned to its on-going

commitment to its customers, CPS Energy and SmartSA will also prioritize the

importance of protecting the privacy rights of the public as it works on this

and future Smart City initiatives.

The pilot program includes the installation of smart streetlight solutions in

each of the three SmartSA Innovation Zones that include the following San

Antonio regions:

    --  Downtown;

    --  Brooks City-Base, a 1,000-plus acre mixed-use community developed at

        the former Brooks Air Force Base; and

    --  The Medical Center, which is home to 12 major hospitals, the University

        of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and numerous medical

        clinics and practices.

"The launch of the Smart Streetlight Technology pilot program is one of the

most exciting announcements to come down the pike in a long time," said Mayor

Ron Nirenberg. "I am looking forward to seeing the results from the Innovation

Zones. The possibilities - ranging from energy savings to valuable data

collection that will inform city services -- are extraordinary."  

"This initiative highlights what our SmartSA partnership with CPS Energy can

achieve when we come together to solve community challenges," said Erik Walsh,

San Antonio City Manager. "The City of San Antonio is taking a data-driven

approach to addressing city-wide issues, and the environmental data these

sensors will produce can help us meet our Climate Action and ozone attainment

goals. We are excited to collaborate with technology leaders AT&T and Itron on

this initiative that will move our smart city strategy forward."

The Innovation Zones were established in 2017 by the San Antonio City Council

to test new technologies.  In 2019, San Antonio residents completed an

Innovation Zone Survey and identified environmental quality, pedestrian safety

and traffic congestion as challenges in the zones. Implementing pilots in these

zones is the first steps towards acquiring data and developing practical

solutions.

AT&T and Itron will each install smart streetlight sensors in all three

Innovation Zones on up to fifteen streetlights in each Zone for a total of 45

streetlights. These sensors will include remote lighting controls and up to

five "smart" use case applications: parking sensing, air quality, temperature,

ambient noise, and flood sensing. The first sensors were installed in the

Brooks Innovation Zone by Itron, and AT&T will install its sensors soon.

"As a smart cities leader, AT&T is committed to delivering impactful solutions

that help cities address the issues facing their communities," said JD Salinas,

assistant vice president, AT&T External Affairs. "We're helping communities by

connecting things like utility meters, streetlights and water systems -- adding

connectivity to help transform how cities serve their citizens, use energy and

preserve natural resources. Communities that are contemplating or planning

investing in innovative solutions can learn from those who have successfully

implemented their own. By taking a programmatic approach, cities can optimize

technology investments to create more efficient, safe and sustainable

communities."

"We are proud to take part in this collaborative and innovative smart city

program that leverages Itron's smart streetlight solution and partner ecosystem

applications. Through this partnership, CPS Energy and the City of San Antonio

can unlock efficiencies and build a foundation for smarter city services, while

improving the quality of life for all residents," said, John Marcolini, senior

vice president of Networked Solutions at Itron.  

Results from the six-month streetlight pilot will be evaluated in the Summer of

2021.  Lessons learned will help shape a path towards citywide deployment and

serve as the first of many steps toward San Antonio's Smart City goals.

About CPS Energy

Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation's largest public power, natural

gas, and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced

service to 860,934 electric and 358,495 natural gas customers in San Antonio

and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers' combined energy bills

rank among the lowest of the nation's 20 largest cities -- while generating $8

billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As

a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation,

economic development, and educational investment. True to our People First

philosophy, we are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the

community is demonstrated through our employees' volunteerism in giving back to

our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is

among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in

Texas for solar generation.

SOURCE: CPS Energy

Media Contact: +1 210-353-2344, +1 833-331-6397