Water, Energy, & Environment Task Force

Join the East Bay Leadership Council for a presentation from the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the University of California, Berkeley on the Center for Smart Infrastructure (CSI).

In response to challenges such as climate change, aging infrastructure, and natural hazards, UC Berkeley and EBMUD established CSI in 2021. This partnership leverages cutting-edge technologies – including sensors, data analytics, and artificial intelligence – to address these challenges. Located at UC Berkeley's Richmond Field Station, CSI's initiatives include the development of a large-scale pipeline testing facility and advanced computer modeling. The center also focuses on educational outreach and engagement with communities. Since 2021, the partnership has grown to include other utilities, government agencies, manufacturers, and consultants.

OUR SPEAKERS



Clifford Chan serves as the General Manager of the East Bay Municipal Utility District. He was appointed to the role in June, 2020 and through this position oversees delivery of high quality drinking water to 1.4 million residents and businesses in 20 cities and 15 unincorporated communities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, as well as wastewater treatment for 740,000 of those same customers. He manages an organization with 2,000 employees and a $2.7 billion annual budget and supports a seven-member publicly elected Board of Directors. As General Manager, he balances the continued demands of maintaining critical infrastructure and financial stability through innovation and long-term water and wastewater planning. GM Chan’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.



Kenichi Soga is the Donald H. McLaughlin Chair and a Distinguished Professor at UC Berkeley. He is also the Director of the Berkeley Center for Smart Infrastructure and a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research focuses on infrastructure sensing and modeling, performance-based design and maintenance of infrastructure, and geotechnics. He has published more than 500 journal and conference papers. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the Engineering Academy of Japan. He is the recipient of several notable awards, including the George Stephenson Medal and Telford Gold Medal from ICE in 2006, the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize from ASCE in 2007, and the UCB Bakar Prize for his work on commercialization of smart infrastructure technologies in 2022.