Itron has signed an agreement with Mississippi Power—a subsidiary of Southern Company- to support the utility’s grid modernization plans
Itron will deploy and manage its standards-based Gen5 IPv6 network platform to connect approximately 193,000 advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) devices to help improve operational efficiencies and increase grid reliability for Mississippi Power customers across southeast 23 Mississippi counties.
Itron will also deliver back-office capabilities to Mississippi Power through a five-year Software-as-a-Service (Saas) model to aid in the utility’s operational and customer engagement transformation efforts.
Mississippi Power customer services organization vice president Nicole Faulk said: “AMI will allow Mississippi Power to serve our customers more efficiently from an operational standpoint, which in turn increases the value we provide to the communities we serve.
“This technology, and our partnership with Itron, will benefit our customers in many ways. From real-time usage reporting to remote connect and disconnect and more, we will be installing meters that will help us enhance our customers’ experience and prepare for emerging smart grid applications.”
Itron’s Electricity business line president Mark de Vere White said: “We’re excited to be expanding our footprint in the southeastern US through our agreement with Mississippi Power on its progressive efforts to modernize its grid system.
“Mississippi is a state with diverse terrain and a history of extreme weather conditions. The opportunity to work with Mississippi Power to deliver its customers a more reliable, cost effective and efficient smart grid is truly rewarding. We look forward to building a long lasting, trusted relationship with Mississippi Power.”
Itron’s advanced technology will be integrated into selected Mississippi Power smart meters to enable secure and reliable wireless networking connectivity between Mississippi Power’s business and residential customers to the utility’s back office.
The communications and computing modules will help Mississippi Power form a resilient and reliable mesh network, providing access to demand, consumption, time-of-use and interval data, alarms and power-quality data from its smart meters.
By selecting Itron, Mississippi Power will put a platform in place capable of meeting the modern demands of its customers that desire more control over their energy consumption, while establishing a foundational network and management system for future smart grid advances and applications.
Source: Company Press Release