RALEIGH, NC - August 27, 2007
Continuing efforts to provide safe, reliable and cost-efficient services to its electric and natural gas customers, Alliant Energy has selected the Sensus Metering Systems FlexNet AMI system to implement advanced metering infrastructure across its entire service territory, in the states of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. Subject to regulatory approvals, the deployment is set to begin in Wisconsin starting in the 4th quarter of 2007 and includes more than one million iCon smart electricity meters and 400,000 FlexNet AMI endpoints installed on existing natural gas meters.
“We performed a thorough evaluation of available technology and believe that FlexNet offers a core set of advantages that will enable us to cost effectively meet our aggressive near-term objectives, while positioning us to be able to offer beneficial advanced services and rate offerings to our customers in the future.” said Barb Siehr, Alliant Energy’s Vice President of Customer Service and Operations Support.
The FlexNet system will allow Alliant Energy to leverage its prior investment in an extensive array of communications towers already in place for voice communications. In addition, the primary licensed frequency in which the FlexNet system operates provides the most protection over the long term, and enables Alliant Energy to transmit at up to 2 watts of power, thus reducing the infrastructure needed to support its three state (54,000 sq. miles) service territory.
Alliant Energy will benefit from the system’s flexibility and utilization of a single fixed base technology for areas within their service territory where they provide electric and/or natural gas services. In addition, because FlexNet is a tower-based AMI network, Alliant Energy will be prepared to accommodate future growth as it expands meter deployments.
“We are pleased that Alliant Energy selected the FlexNet technology and look forward to a successful partnership,” said Dan Harness, president of Sensus Metering Systems. “Central to the design of the FlexNet system is advanced functionality and ability to perform in a variety of rural, urban and suburban environments, both aspects that make FlexNet the perfect fit for Alliant Energy.”
About FlexNet
FlexNet offers the gas utility hourly or daily reporting options, eliminates bad reads, estimated reads and curbside reads. FlexNet provides move-in/move-out reads, is applicable for commercial and industrial meters as well as residential and provides a 20 year battery life. Other benefits of the FlexNet system include: automated reporting of indoor meters, support for gas demand-side rationing programs and delivery of information that can reduce gas theft.
FlexNet system’s two-way applications for electricity meters include demand reads, kWh and actual voltage measurements, programmable read interval, low-voltage and breaker re-closure warnings, outage and restoration notification, as well as on demand meter functions that are accessible from the Internet. Additional benefits include remote meter disconnect/reconnect, 15-minute interval data, real-time clock calibration for top-of-the-hour reads, TOU billing and consumption correlation, energy management programs, text and rate change notification, load shed and restore, and real-time data for management and billing.
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 Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy Corporation is an energy services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and over 400,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electricity and natural gas service is the company’s primary focus. Alliant Energy’s utility subsidiaries are Interstate Power and Light and Wisconsin Power and Light companies. Wisconsin Power and Light, the company’s Wisconsin utility subsidiary, serves 456, 000 electric and 182,000 natural gas customers. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. Alliant Energy is the trade name of utility companies Wisconsin Power and Light Company and Interstate Power and Light Company. For more information visit the company’s Web site at www.alliantenergy.com.
Issued 8/27/2007
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