Landis+Gyr, one of the largest providers of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and energy management solutions in the world, has announced a five-year smart metering contract with AEP Texas.  AEP Texas is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP) one of the largest utilities in the country.

The contract calls for Landis+Gyr to deploy its Gridstream smart meter solution throughout the AEP Texas service area.  The solution will be made up of 700,000 networked smart meters, capable of communicating bi-directionally, and giving more than 2 million customers the ability to monitor and manage their energy consumption.

The Gridstream deployment includes the two-way network infrastructure that will facilitate communications between customers and AEP Texas, digital smart meters capable of remote access and load limiting, and wireless connectivity to smart devices in the home.  

AEP Texas will have the ability to remotely connect and disconnect power – a cost-saving option for the vast service area – and will be able to transmit pricing signals in real time.  Automated load management will also be an option.

“As the demand for electricity continues to outpace development of energy resources, using smart grid technologies to improve energy management is a critical piece to ensuring our energy future,” said Richard Mora, CEO of Landis+Gyr North America.  “AEP Texas is adopting technology that will improve efficiency and help control rising costs, while making it easier to utilize alternative sources of energy.”

“Landis+Gyr is proud to partner with AEP,” continued Mora.  “Gridstream provides a flexible, scalable and secure solution designed to meet their demanding requirements for interconnectivity and information management.”

Landis+Gyr has assumed a leadership role in designing the smart grid of the future by designing infrastructure and hardware that connects utilities to control points throughout the power distribution network.  The Gridstream product allows utilities to offer their customers a wide array of services that allow them to control their energy consumption in ways that were previously impossible.

Utility companies in Texas are uniquely positioned to quickly roll out smart grid technology.  The Texas power grid is separate from grids that supply power to the rest of the country and much of the federal oversight that regulates those grids.  Moreover, Texas has a thriving wholesale electricity market that was opened to external competition in 1995.

It is for these reasons that the state is providing an early example to the rest of America on how Americans can change their energy consumption habits.  Landis+Gyr, including its latest contract with AEP Texas, now has agreed to deploy around 4 million smart meters in the state.

Landis+Gyr has other major contracts in the United States as well, and with other large utilities around the world.  In the Washington D.C. area Landis+Gyr is working with Pepco Holdings and in California with Pacific Gas & Electric.  In France the company is working on a huge smart meter pilot project with ERDF, the national electricity provider there.

Landis+Gyr AG
Feldstrasse 1
CH-6301 Zug
http://www.landisgyr.com

American Electric Power
1 Riverside Plaza
Columbus, Ohio, USA 43215-2372
http://www.aep.com

Pepco Holdings
701 Ninth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC
http://www.pepco.com

Pacific Gas & Electric
PO Box 56
Avila Beach, CA 93424-0056
http://www.pge.com


EDF Group (ERDF)
22-30, avenue de Wagram
Paris, 75382
France
http://www.edf.com
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