See how Smart Energy NowSM is helping to reduce energy consumption in Charlotte’s uptown business district. Live! Uptown Energy Usage

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Jim Rogers,

“Charlotte’s uptown within the I-277 loop is a highly concentrated urban area that provides an excellent site to demonstrate what is possible with advanced energy efficiency and smart grid technologies. We are eager to promote Envision Charlotte to our customers who depend on us for reliable electricity 24/7 — and work with our partners in this initiative to show them just what can be possible with better information about their energy use and these exciting new technologies.”

John Chambers, Cisco Chairman and CEO

“As cities all over the world experience significant population growth, the need to sustainably balance social, economic and environmental resources becomes even more paramount. In fact, urban areas currently contribute at least 60 percent of global carbon emissions. Cisco believes that technology can transform how the world manages these energy and environmental challenges. Today’s announcement of this public-private collaboration between Duke Energy, Cisco, the City of Charlotte and others demonstrates how we can change energy use habits and consumer behavior through innovation and operational excellence.”

Michael Smith, Charlotte Center City Partners President

“We aspire for Charlotte’s central business district to be the most environmentally sustainable in the nation. Charlotte differentiates itself by taking a very ‘private sector’ approach to city-building through the action of corporate leadership. With Envision Charlotte, we are once again setting a priority (environmental sustainability) and creating an architecture that aligns infrastructure investments, policy and commerce to achieve a shared goal.”

Laura Schulte, Wells Fargo's President of Community Banking for the Eastern Region

“As part of our commitment to serving and supporting the communities where we do business, Wells Fargo is dedicated to implementing long-term efforts to enhance sustainability and reduce energy use. Charlotte is an important center of business for Wells Fargo, and we are pleased to be a participant in the Envision Charlotte program. We look forward to working with Duke Energy and Cisco to further improve the energy efficiency of our uptown Charlotte buildings.”

Catherine P. Bessant, Bank of America's Global Technology and Operations Executive

“We are delighted to be a partner in Envision Charlotte and do our part to help make our headquarters city more energy efficient. As a company, we are constantly evaluating technologies to create energy efficiency and reduce waste both in our existing real estate portfolio and in new construction. We look forward to working with Envision Charlotte and other Charlotte-based companies to meet a collective goal of reducing energy use in major commercial buildings in Uptown Charlotte.”

Michael Regan, Environmental Defense Fund's Southeast Energy Director and Former EPA Energy and Air Policy Manager

“This is an unprecedented plan to align business interests with smart grid technology in a way that can propel Charlotte to the forefront of energy efficiency in commercial and government buildings. Envision Charlotte is one of the most forward-thinking projects on the East Coast.”

Uniting for a Sustainable City

Shaping our future with fresh inspiration, Envision Charlotte invites everyone to help create the most environmentally sustainable urban core in the nation.

A first-of-its-kind community sustainability program, this cutting-edge initiative will reflect Charlotte’s role as an emerging energy capital. In the process, it will enhance our vibrant business hub, making it even more attractive to forward-looking businesses and talent.

Utilizing innovative energy technologies from Duke Energy, participating office buildings will have the ability to monitor and manage energy usage better than ever before. But technology alone isn’t the answer. To create a more sustainable city takes people — all of us collaborating and using the latest information technology to make smarter choices.

That’s why the most important part of Envision Charlotte is getting information that can lead to changes in our behavior. On special monitors in high-traffic locations, we’ll see how we’re doing as a community, with near real-time data and graphic displays about energy consumption and other sustainability practices. In this way, we’ll use technology to help change the way we think about energy use and the environment. The goal is to spur sustainable behaviors and reduce energy use in Uptown Charlotte’s business community by up to 20% in five years.

Representing an unprecedented alliance of major employers, building owners and managers along with municipal and technology leaders, Envision Charlotte promises to engage us all in making a difference to our city and our world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Envision charlotte?

Envision Charlotte is a first-of-a-kind collaborative partnership among major employers, building owners and managers along with municipal and technology leaders. Its purpose is to create the most environmentally sustainable urban core in the nation by connecting numerous environmental programs and initiatives. By achieving this vision, it will demonstrate Charlotte’s national leadership as a sustainable, progressive, cost-efficient place to do business.

What is Duke Energy’s role?

Duke Energy will provide an energy-efficiency offering called Smart Energy NowSM that will serve as the foundation of Envision Charlotte. It will include the digital smart grid infrastructure as well as energy data and insights that will provide greater visibility into the community’s energy usage. Both aggregate community-wide data (real-time usage, load factors, historical trends, etc.) and confidential building-specific information for building owners and managers will be provided. Digital displays will be located in the lobbies of all participating buildings, making the aggregate, community energy usage visible to all owners and occupants. The program is a major component of Envision Charlotte and will engage major businesses and building owners in uptown Charlotte to help achieve a 20% reduction in energy use in five years.

What is the Envision Charlotte Steering Commitee?

The Envision Charlotte Steering Committee is a group of key stakeholders from the public and private sectors. It has three main objectives: (1) establish Charlotte’s national leadership in sustainability; (2) ensure alignment with other community efforts; (3) build support for the project and promote participation.

What is the Charlotte 2020 plan?

Charlotte Center City Partners (CCCP), in collaboration with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, is developing an innovative 10-year development and urban-design plan for Charlotte’s Center City. The Charlotte Center City 2020 Vision Plan will set forth a vision for creating a great Center City that is viable, livable, memorable and sustainable. The plan will establish goals, recommendations and strategies to guide the public and private sectors when making growth, development and investment decisions for Uptown and the adjacent neighborhoods. Our community has recommended a guiding principle for sustainable development to include in the 2020 plan: “The next decade of development should serve as a role model for the region, creating an active learning laboratory by integrating the most innovative sustainability practices. Decision-makers should carefully consider resource use and long- term effects, seeking to maintain, restore and regenerate the integrity of the natural systems.”

What is meant by ”environmental” sustainability?

Sustainability can mean different things to different people. Envision Charlotte will focus on:

  • Long-term maintenance of ecosystem components and functions for future generations
  • Policies that ensure a positive impact on the environment
  • Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
What is this good for Charlotte?

Envision Charlotte will help promote a healthy place to live, work and play for all residents. It will showcase Charlotte as a leader in global sustainability, helping attract businesses and strengthen our economic base. This is the city of Charlotte’s contribution to lessening the impact on our environment. We join other cities around the nation and the world in creating strategic initiatives to address the impact of the built environment and the way we live and work in a 21st century city.

Envision Charlotte will help the city recruit companies and jobs by highlighting lower costs of operations in center city commercial office spaces as we refine operations and reduce energy costs. This will allow us to attract companies and recruit businesses that care about a great business climate and environmental sustainability.

How do I get involved?

Send us an email to contact us.

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