The city of Milpitas, California, has long been committed to sustainability, having published its first Climate Action Plan in 2013. Today, it is in the process of adopting more aggressive targets and intends to become carbon neutral by 2045. The city’s ambitious smart city infrastructure program, deployed in collaboration with ENGIE, is central to meeting this aim. Through the program, Milpitas is forecast to reduce utility electricity consumption by more than 4.2 million kWh per year and save over $1.5 million in energy and water costs annually. 

The program consists of a range of measures including: 

• Advanced water infrastructure upgrades including smart meter deployments, retrofitting pumps at utility facilities, putting in place more efficient water fixtures, and introducing a new SCADA system. 
• New LED lighting and smart controls for city streetlights, parks and facilities. 
• Installing microgrids at Milpitas’ senior and community centers to provide emergency backup power at these locations. 

Thanks to the efforts of Milpitas and ENGIE, the city received a Smart 50 award, which recognizes the most innovative smart city deployments globally. More importantly, Milpitas is on a course to improve city services for decades to come.