When ‘smart’ is ‘smart enough’

New Jersey lawmakers want to take some big steps toward a smart city.
But with the new legislation, they want to start with something less than smart.
New Jersey lawmakers say they want smart cities to be more like the ones they see around the world, like San Francisco, Boston and New York.
But their proposal has some detractors who say the state is being too cautious.
They say the legislation is overly restrictive and could result in an overregulation of the city-to-city relationship.
So what is smart enough?
The New Jersey state Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would require smart cities, such as San Francisco and Boston, to build their own power grids, and provide their residents with better public transit and internet access.
New York City is currently the only state in the country that doesn’t have smart meters in place.
It’s called the “smart city” proposal because it would require a city to use a combination of sensors and data to help monitor and improve the quality of its own energy, water and air.
State Sen. Jim McGovern, a Democrat, said it is the best solution for New Jersey because it doesn’t take money away from people and creates a more connected city.
“The only way we can do it is to build the smart city and to have the city be in control of the decisions,” McGovern said.
But the bill could take years to become law.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney said he believes it will take two to three years to get the legislation approved by the full Senate.
McGovern says the bill will help ensure that smart cities are not just built in New Jersey, but across the country.
The bill requires cities to install smart meters that can detect pollution, temperature and humidity.
McCombs bill also mandates that smart meters be connected to local Wi-Fi hotspots.
And it requires cities that are using a combination or an alternative energy source like solar to get smart meters installed in the building.
The new bill also requires cities with at least 50,000 residents to have smart city technology installed.
That’s about 100,000 homes in New York City, according to McGovern.
“We’re going to go to a level of sophistication that people can be proud of in the state of New Jersey,” McCombs said.