5m Smart Meters Installed; Enbala, Fellon-McCord Partner Up

Five million smart meters have been installed nationwide as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to an update from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Nearly 90 percent of the meters installed are in Florida, Texas, California, Idaho, Arizona, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Nevada.

Smart meters provide utility companies with data about how much electricity is being used throughout their service areas. They also give consumers access to real-time information about energy consumption. The coordinated exchange of information will allow for more integration of renewable energy sources, and improve reliability and energy management, the DOE said.

Companies involved in the program include the Florida Power & Light Company. The Miami-based company has installed more than 1.8 million smart meters with $200 million in funding. Its modernization investments include the deployment of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), distribution automation technologies, and development of new electricity pricing programs.

In Texas, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric’s $200-million project has brought 2.2 million customers onto the smart grid with the installation of 1.3 million smart meters.

The DOE says it is accelerating its customer-awareness efforts over the summer months, and will build a portal for customers to input their energy consumption data. The so-called “data map” will be developed in conjunction with utilities, consumer groups, state and local officials, and other participants. The DOE has also expressed an interest in input from early adopters of smart grid technologies.

In other smart grid news, energy management companies Enbala Power Networks and Fellon-McCord have partnered to connect their clients to the smart grid.

The agreement covers the PJM Independent System Operator (ISO) region, an integrated electricity market covering all or part of 13 states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, or about 51 million people, according to Enbala.

Enbala operates a smart grid platform that monitors energy consumption by large users of electricity, and then manages demand fluctuation. Its technology allows the regional independent electricity system operator (ISO) to leverage an array of adjustable loads in managing the balance within the electricity system.

Fellon-McCord is a comprehensive energy management organization that provides its clients with energy procurement and scheduling, price risk management, asset optimization, energy efficiency and sustainability services.

The partnership is expected to identify a range of cost-savings opportunities through energy sourcing, price risk management and demand management. The partnership will provide clients of both companies with the opportunity to balance electricity costs, while managing demand for new power generation, according to the companies’ statement.

Photo: Fellon-McCord