Bad economic news is plentiful. Unemployment is creeping toward 10 percent nationally, cash-strapped states are cutting education budgets, and the job market is absolutely terrifying.

Is there any good news out there?

Well, yes — and right here in Iowa. While we haven’t emerged out of the Great Recession, some local governments are seeking to innovate their way to better times. Dubuque is partnering with IBM in an effort to make the city a smarter, more sustainable city. The plan is to make water, electricity, and transportation systems operate more efficiently.

This project will use technology and data systems to monitor utility use so that consumers can make informed choices about how to save money in their energy consumption. For example, computerized electric meters that track energy use can suggest ways to decrease bills. The tracking of this data will allow the city to make better decisions as well.

It seems fairly intuitive that consumers and cities should seek to minimize expenses in such a tough economic climate. The Great Recession is forcing us all to do more with less.

Making our homes and building more sustainability is also an economic-development tool. We can save money, but we’ll need to create new technology and better software systems. In Dubuque, technology and innovation are leading the way in making the city more sustainable and prosperous.

Dubuque’s efforts are connected to efforts under way in much larger cities such as New York and London. Using technology to mine data, more and more cities are streamlining services, responding quicker to residents, and creating better policy. Dubuque and New York are nothing alike, but it shows that innovation can take places in small- to medium-sized cities as well.

Other cities in Iowa should take note as well. The state is notorious for its high rate of college-educated workers who leave the state in search of better economic opportunities. While Iowa is a top five importer of college students and is No. 1 in the Midwest for attracting college students, the state’s so-called brain drain is fourth in the nation since 2000, according to the Generation Iowa Commission.

So why did 19,500 college-educated youth leave Iowa from 1995-2000?

Well-paying jobs and, to a lesser degree, cultural and social amenities. Iowa has the ninth lowest out of 10 regional states in average wages. The state’s wages are 20 percent lower than the national average. After being saddled with more than $20,000 in student debt upon graduation, it’s difficult to find a job with a decent wage.

Brain drain is a serious problem. The state’s overall economic competitiveness is based on its ability to attract students and keep them in the state to live, work, and raise families.

Dubuque’s efforts could make it a destination for recent college graduates. The city may soon attract young professionals from Wisconsin or Minnesota looking for a city with affordable and sustainable living.

If Dubuque is positioned to become a model for smart, medium-sized cities, certainly Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines can, too.

Iowa City seems particularly well positioned for such an effort. Many of the ingredients exist already. Imagine a collaboration among the UI, IBM, and local government to make Iowa City the “smartest” medium-sized city in the country, the world. The UI is a large public-research institution, K-12 schools excel, and there is strong support for sustainability efforts.

The potential and possibilities are endless.