Case Study: EPB achieves $2.7 billion community benefit with Hexagon smart grid technology

EPB Smart Grid generates $2.7 billion in first decade

EPB of Chattanooga, a major publicly owned utility, needed to modernize its electric system by building a smart grid using fiber optic infrastructure. This grid was intended to not only improve outage response and energy management but also to offer next-generation communications services to drive regional economic growth. To address this challenge, EPB partnered with Hexagon, a technology company and existing vendor, to leverage its advanced telecommunications GIS software.

The solution from Hexagon involved building a fiber optic smart grid by adding fiber enhancements to EPB’s existing electric model within the utility GIS. This implementation included the installation of thousands of miles of fiber and automated switches. The results were significant; EPB became the first U.S. provider to offer gigabit internet speeds, and its smart grid automatically restored power to thousands during a tornado. An independent study found that Hexagon's technology helped generate $2.7 billion in community benefits over the first decade, including job creation, decreased outages, and support for increased internet usage during the pandemic.

EPB