Idaho Power looks to expand use of high tech meters

Idaho Power has entered into an agreement with ESCO Technologies subsidiary Aclara Power-Line Systems Inc. to spend upward of $25 million implementing the company’s TWACS advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution, pending approval by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Covering a three year period, the contract would enable Idaho Power to replace existing meters throughout its 24,000 square mile service area with about 500,000 of Aclara’s most sophisticated “TWACS modules” – meters that can be checked remotely and give highly detailed and rapidly updated data on power consumption.

“It’s a two-way communication network,” said Idaho Power spokeswoman Anne Alenskis. “This way, the [usage] information travels over the power lines to the substation, and the substation sends it to the computers.”

The result is that both the utility and its customers can readily establish usage levels and pinpoint peak demand times, allowing for better resource planning and energy conservation programs like time-of-use-billing, which increases rates during times of high consumption.

“It encourages people to conserve energy when it’s most expensive,” Alenskis said.

About 25,000 AMI units have already been installed and working for four years in the McCall and Emmett areas, as phase one of a trial period to test their efficiency and use.

AMI project manager Mark Heintzelman said the agreement with ESCO and Aclara is meant to establish a price point for the system – if the PUC rules against it or Idaho Power decides not to go forward with the project, the utility won’t be obligated to buy the units.

“We hope to file by mid-July [but] the filing has not been determined yet,” he said. “We should have a filing by the end of the month.”

PUC spokesman Gene Fadness said that if a filing is received at that time it’s reasonable to assume, if the plan is approved, Idaho Power could begin work on replacing old meters by early 2009.

“But it’s always hard to say given the rash of rate cases we now have from all utilities,” he said.

Between now and then though, Idaho Power representatives say a few details need to be hammered out – including how to ensure that the new system is used to make wise usage choices. Heintzelman said that while AMI proved to be a good tool for resolving high bill complaints, a large number of users in the McCall area specifically were more concerned with using the data to make sure the power was off at their cabins than for streamlining their energy use.

“We want people to make business and usage decisions based on that information,” he said. “While it’s a wonderful idea, we really need to reevaluate how to get the right people looking at that.”

Heintzelman said only a few customers in the pilot project were unable to be hooked up to the system because the remoteness of their properties increased fixed costs too much.

“About one percent of customers overall, this technology won’t work for them,” he said. “But when you get one size to fit 99 percent, that’s pretty darn good.”

Alenskis said the utility chose Emmett and McCall as sites for the test program because of their differing climates – McCall has much more rugged terrain and experiences far harsher winters, while Emmett’s weather and terrain more closely matches that of Boise.