Monday, GE Digital Energy, a division of GE Enterprise Solutions and part of the technology, media, and financial service provider General Electric Co. (GE) stated that it has been selected as a provider of wireless communications by transmission and distribution subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
GE Digital Energy stated that it will support the electric utility's Advanced Metering System or AMS that is designed to give Houston-area electric consumers the ability to better monitor and manage electric use and cost in near real-time. The company also underlined that its MDS Mercury 3650 radios along with engineering services, network design, project management and support services, will support the transmission of electric utility meter data over the AMS network from consumers' homes and businesses to CenterPoint Energy's data center.
Earlier in March 2009, CenterPoint Energy began replacing existing electric meters with smart meters. The company estimates that more than 145,000 smart meters will be installed across the Houston area by the end of 2009. The company also indicated that AMS will be deployed during the next five years to over 2.4 million consumers within a 5,000 square mile service area around metropolitan Houston.
The company said that once the AMS, including the communications infrastructure, is installed retail electric providers or REPs would be able to offer new products and services to their consumers, such as giving consumers the ability to monitor their energy usage and energy prices in real time from computer screens in their homes. Additionally, consumers could be able to remotely control their appliances via the Internet.
Kenny Mercado, Senior Vice President of Advanced Metering Deployment, CenterPoint Energy said, "The Advanced Metering System is our first step in developing a smart grid - comprised of technology, automation and electrical infrastructure integration."
Larry Sollecito, President and CEO, GE Digital Energy stated that GE is committed to helping customers transform and modernize today's electrical grid to a more reliable, efficient and intelligent system from a power plant to a consumer. He also added that the reliability, ruggedness and long distance capabilities of the MDS Mercury 3650 radios would be key in supporting CenterPoint Energy's Advanced Metering System.
General Electric is currently trading at $9.90, down $0.88 or 8.16% on a volume of 73.83 million shares on the NYSE.
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