“eMeter’s software provides metering and operational information that we need for a successful AMS deployment, and we are beginning to see improvements in meter-related automation and a reduction in truck rolls.”
CenterPoint Energy is an $8B energy wholesaler based in Houston, Texas. CenterPoint serves more than 5 million electric and gas customers across the competitive Texas market as well as Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.
In August of 2009, CenterPoint successfully deployed eMeter’s EnergyIP meter data management (MDM) system as a foundational component of their Advanced Metering Deployment (AMS) program. Through this program, CenterPoint Energy has deployed more than 1,000,000 smart meters in its service territory and expects to install more than 2 million meters by 2014.
EnergyIP is used to capture 15-minute usage data intervals provided by the smart meters, do remote connects and disconnect s and route home area network commands. In the future, EnergyIP will also provide outage and restoration event services to support CenterPoint Energy’s Outage Management System.
eMeter’s Energy IP software also provides a platform that enables competitive Retail Electric Providers (REPs) in CenterPoint Energy’s electric service territory to offer innovative pricing models and services such as time-of-use pricing.
The new metering technology is a key step in CenterPoint’s upgrading of its electric system to a complete Smart Grid. It will encourage greater energy conservation by giving Houston-area electric consumers the ability to better monitor and manage their electric use and cost in near real-time.