5 million smart meters now feeding information to utility grid

The Department of Energy recently reported more than five million smart meters have been installed nationwide as part of American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-funded efforts to accelerate modernization of the nation’s electric grid.

“To compete in the global economy, we need a modern electricity grid,” said DOE Secretary Steven Chu. “An upgraded electricity grid will give consumers choices and promote energy savings, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy resources.”

Nearly 90 percent of the smart meters installed to date are in Florida, Texas, California, Idaho, Arizona, Oklahoma, Michigan and Nevada. Two of the biggest ARRA funding recipients were Florida Power & Light Co., Miami, which received $200 million to deploy 1.8 million smart meters, and CenterPoint Energy, Houston, which received $200 million in ARRA funding for a fully integrated advanced metering system and Web portal access that it is offering to over 2.2 million customers and installation of advanced monitoring and distribution automation equipment.