RALEIGH, NC - September 19, 2007
Portland General Electric Company (PGE) and Sensus Metering Systems today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for the purchase of Sensus’ FlexNet advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution. PGE’s current plans call for deployment of the system to approximately 850,000 residential and commercial electric customers between 2008 and 2010, subject to approval by the Oregon Public Utility Commission and PGE’s board of directors.
The FlexNet system provides PGE with two-way communications to Sensus iCon electric meters; enabling on demand reads, remote connect/disconnect services, outage verification and remote firmware upgrades. FlexNet also establishes the platform for additional customer and systems-related benefits in the future.
“We evaluated many vendors during our multi-year selection process and believe that Sensus is the vendor best suited to meet our AMI needs,” said Bruce Carpenter, PGE general manager for revenue operations. “With FlexNet, PGE customers are expected to benefit from expanded services, increased efficiencies and operational savings. Sensus delivers the single technology solution we require for urban and rural coverage, with the power and flexibility for future advanced applications.”
“PGE’s selection of FlexNet strengthens our position as a leader in two-way AMI systems”, said Dan Harness, CEO and President of Sensus Metering Systems. “It is also rewarding that the extensive time and effort that both organizations put into the project review and definition stages have resulted in this agreement.”
About FlexNet
FlexNet provides the utility industry’s most reliable and flexible two-way AMI fixed network. Utility customers benefit from the dependable, mission-critical performance of a dedicated, primary-use, FCC licensed and protected communications network combined with ANSI compliant metering, IP-based wide area communications, open standards home area networking, advanced smart grid products, and IP-based information systems. Sensus delivers timely and accurate AMI communications through crystal-clear and massively redundant RF data paths with double the RF power of competing systems. This empowers utilities to communicate with a complete range of endpoint devices including smart water, gas and electric meters, intelligent home devices, and distribution automation equipment in any mix of rural and urban terrain. Forward-thinking utilities confidently choose FlexNet to provide a single-technology solution that reduces cost, mitigates technology risk, enables pricing flexibility and demand response, and improves operational efficiency through reliable performance, industry standards, cross-vendor compatibility, system scalability and future-proof operation.
About Sensus Metering Systems
The Sensus Metering Systems companies are leading world-class providers of water, gas, heat and electric meters including comprehensive metering communications system solutions that comprise both automatic meter reading (“AMR”) and advanced metering infrastructure (“AMI”) systems. Additional linked businesses include Smith-Blair, Inc. a leading provider of pipe clamp & coupling products for the water, gas, and industrial markets; and Sensus Precision Die Casting a producer of complex, high quality die castings.
About About Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a fully integrated electric utility that serves approximately 802,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oregon. Visit their website at PortlandGeneral.com.
Issued 9/19/2007
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