The rising, applications, challenges, and future prospects of energy in smart grids and smart cities systems

Abstract

More than half of world's population lives in cities, which also consume around 75 % of world's energy and produce 80 % of its greenhouse gas emissions. In light of energy trilemma, which requires balancing the goals of sustainability, security, and affordability, it is crucial to ensure that cities are intelligently organized for both quality of life and resource efficiency, with a focus on energy use and management. The most effective strategy to lessen the effect of energy use on gas emissions and the depletion of natural resources is electrification in conjunction with use of renewable energy generation. Developing and managing electrical infrastructure is made more difficult by electrification, necessitating the use of smart grids, which are a crucial component of smart cities. Utilizing various energy sources more efficiently, consistently, and sustainably is made possible by smart grid technology. By improving the economy, government, environment, living conditions, healthcare, energy, and mobility, smart city apps make people's lives easier and more comfortable. This paper reviews the rising, applications, challenges, and future prospects in energy smart grids and smart cities systems. Several key components, such as IoT, renewable energy sources, and artificial intelligence (AI), including deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML). Lastly, the study highlights innovative strategies and instruments that might strengthen smart city security and resilience against modern physical and cyber threats. © 2025 The Author(s)