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Coppell Smart City Board recommends microgrid, autonomous-vehicle integration and urban air mobility pilot
Summary
The Smart City Board recommended studies and partnerships on a microgrid, autonomous vehicle integration and eVTOL urban air mobility, and asked the council to establish a liaison to DFW Airport’s innovation team.
Sam Gautam Vemuganti, chair of Coppell’s Smart City Board, presented the board’s 2024 work and a set of recommendations on March 25 focused on three priorities: a microgrid for resilient local power, integration of autonomous vehicles with city infrastructure to protect vulnerable road users, and exploration of urban air mobility (eVTOL) for freight and short passenger hops.
The board said the initiative — described in the presentation as “reverse globalization” work prompted by potential tax revenue loss in the warehouse district — examined multiple ideas and identified the three priorities as the most promising for resident benefit and business attraction. Vemuganti told the council the recommendations include establishing a liaison with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s innovation center to accelerate pilots and leverage DFW’s existing investments.
Why it matters: Board members argued the measures could improve resilience (by reducing outage risk through a microgrid), enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists through autonomous-vehicle infrastructure, and create economic opportunity by positioning Coppell in regional cargo and last-mile innovation.
Presentation highlights included a basic description of microgrids — a local energy system that can operate with or independently of the main grid — and potential benefits such as resilience, sustainability and long-term cost savings. The board recommended a feasibility analysis before any capital commitment. On autonomous vehicles, presenters emphasized integration with traffic signals and infrastructure to protect pedestrians, cyclists and schoolchildren. On urban air mobility, the board suggested Coppell could host vertiports or vertipads to shorten travel between local points and regional airports, noting DFW’s existing investments in eVTOL pilots.
Mayor Wes Mays offered to help arrange meetings with DFW’s innovation team; he said, “I’ll see him next Thursday. So I’ll be happy to facilitate that if I can be of any assistance.” Council members expressed support for continuing the work, and several recommended exploring federal grants and regional partnerships. A Smart City presenter also reported that DFW has a multibillion-dollar innovation budget and digital capability that could speed local pilots.
No formal council action was taken; the board asked the council to consider establishing a designated liaison to the DFW innovation center and to support next steps including feasibility studies and cross-board collaboration.
