Itron’s Amanda Dixon on the future of municipal energy management

DISTRIBUTECH International 2024

As LED adoption rapidly increases, with over half of the U.S. outdoor lighting already converted, the potential for energy savings through advanced streetlight controls is vast. Considering rising energy costs, cities and utilities are beginning to scrutinize their energy expenditures. Lighting accounts for approximately 40% of a municipality’s energy costs.

Amanda Dixon, senior business growth manager of Smart Cities at Itron, will share advancements in monitoring and control of streetlights and smart city sensors at DISTRIBUTECH March 24-27, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.

Dixon will participate in the session, Transforming streetlights into smart Meters: The future of municipal energy management, taking place March 26 from 9:00 AM – 9:25 AM.

Without monitoring and control, flat rate tariffs are used to bill for lighting, leaving the true cost of lighting and IoT sensors in the dark.

Enter modern Networked Lighting Controllers (NLCs), which now offer meter-grade billing data and are capable of supporting time-of-use energy tariffs for streetlights and associated smart city sensors. These advancements provide unprecedented control and transparency. Recognizing this potential, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA) C136 Outdoor Lighting Standards Committee published the C136.50 standard, setting new benchmarks for NLC metrology.

Check out this DISTRIBUTECH session to understand the core principles of the C136.50 standard for street lighting and how utilities and cities can leverage these capabilities to accurately track consumption, explore dynamic rate structures, track and report carbon emissions reductions, support smart city applications, and more. Attendees will explore real-world examples of how utilities are thinking about the potential for smart streetlights to serve as sophisticated energy management tools.

Amanda Dixon has led cross-functional teams to develop and launch products in the smart grid outdoor roadway lighting market over the last 19 years. Dixon claims some of the largest deals in smart street lighting in North America. She also chaired the ANSI C136 Outdoor and Area Lighting Committee within NEMA over the last 4 years. In her role, Dixon drove the creation of the C136.50 metering accuracy standard for NLCs. She has strong relationships with utility and municipal standards lighting engineers and extensive knowledge regarding trends in the smart city market. Dixon was awarded the Next Generation Award from the ANSI Board of Directors in 2009 for leadership and vision in the work and support of standards for Area and Roadway Lighting. She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University, where today she also holds a seat on the Strategic Advisory Board.



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