On October 19, 2011, Sharon Nunes participated in The National Climate Seminar, a series of webinars sponsored by Bard College's Center for Environmental Policy. The online seminars provide a forum for leading scientists, writers, and other experts to talk about critical issues regarding climate change. The series also opens a public conversation, inviting participants to ask questions and contribute their own thoughts.

Sharon Nunes is Vice President of the Smarter Cities Strategy & Solutions program at IBM, working with municipal leaders to manage urban systems more efficiently. In her lecture, Nunes discussed the ability of smart grids and other information technology to save energy, time, and costs. Questions focused on the barriers to implementing these systems, and Nunes addressed ongoing challenges as well as successful programs.

This E-ssential is an edited version of Nunes' talk and the subsequent question and answer session. While some material has been cut and some language modified for clarity, the intention was to retain the substance of the original discussion.