Best of Austin 2012

Austin is home to a smart-grid test community, and this nonprofit organization is the research muscle behind the energy and water systems necessary to develop it into sustainability. Three years ago, the Department of Energy gave the Pecan Street Project $10.4 million to help fund a smart-grid demonstration project at Mueller. Along with the help of nearly a dozen private companies, this project leads the way for a cleaner, greener world. By offering rebates to participants, the project has helped to solar-power the Mueller neighborhood, which now boasts over 200 homes with rooftop systems and the highest concentration of electric cars in the nation.