Metering.com 7 OCTOBER 2016
Entergy Corporation has selected Silver Spring Networks to provide two-way meter communications and near-real time telemetry for approximately 2.8 million customers.
The Louisiana-based energy company Entergy Corporation will deploy Silver Spring’s multi-application IPv6-based Gen5 network platform across its 114,000 square mile territory to provide two-way meter communications and near-real time telemetry for approximately 2.8 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
According to a release, the platform will enable the Entergy Operating Companies to offer their customers more insight into and better control over their energy usage and costs, while helping to more quickly identify and restore power after outages and improve overall grid reliability. [US utility selects Silver Spring for AMI connectivity]
Mike Bell, president and CEO, Silver Spring Networks, said: “A smart grid programme will usher in a new era for Entergy’s utilities to continuously improve reliability and safety while meeting the evolving needs of their customers. It is an honor to be selected by such an industry leader.”
The project is currently in the planning and design stage and pending regulatory approval. Silver Spring anticipates that the Entergy Operating Companies’ deployments of the platform will begin by 2018, and will be completed across their service territories by the end of 2021. In addition to advanced electricity and gas metering, the Entergy Operating Companies have the option to evaluate additional applications to be connected through the platform in the future.
Jamaica selects Silver Spring
In related news, the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) has also chosen Silver Spring Networks for collaboration on the utility’s smart grid programme. [Distribution automation: Brazil utility’s deal with Silver Spring]
Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is an integrated electric utility company and the sole distributor of electricity in Jamaica serving over 600,000 residential and commercial and industrial customers, for its smart grid programme.
JPS is expected to deploy Silver Spring’s open standards-based platform and SilverLink Software-as-a-Service to improve grid reliability, boost operational efficiency and drive revenue realisation.
According to a release, the smart grid programme supports Jamaica’s National Energy Policy 2009 – 2030, which emphasizes energy conservation and efficiency goals.
The project is also expected to help JPS customers to manage their energy costs more effectively through a web portal, which provides more timely and granular insights into their energy use.