Hydro One's Smart Meter Project wins North American award

"I am extremely proud of the employees of Hydro One and their efforts in support of the Province's Smart Meter Initiative," said Laura Formusa, Hydro One President and CEO (acting). "To date, Hydro One has installed more than 160,000 smart meters and is on track to having 240,000 installed by the end of 2007."

Hydro One was selected for the 2007 Metering Award in the category of Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Initiative - North American Municipal or Cooperative. AMR, or smart metering as it is often referred to, is the term used to describe all of the hardware, software, and connectivity required for a fully functioning smart metering system.

Hydro One's Smart Meter team, including its main vendor partners Capgemini and Trilliant Networks, is deploying a smart meter system which will be able to adapt and work with new technologies as they evolve such as internet addressed in-home energy conservation devices (e.g., two-way real time monitors and automated thermostats). In addition, once fully operational, the system will enhance power restoration efforts by alerting the company to power outages in real time.

Hydro One's Smart Meter Project was selected for the award by an international panel of judges. This year, entries were received from around the globe including Europe, South America, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Hydro One's entry covered all aspects of the project from meter deployment (automation, communication, customer service), through to planned time-of-use conversion, and the company's strategic vision to leverage the communication and IT infrastructure in the future to increase efficiency.

Former winners have included Niagara Mohawk, Consolidated Edison, and Southern California Edison.