The electric grid is aging. Demand for energy is on the rise. Faced with these challenges, electric cooperatives and utility companies are looking for new solutions to create greater efficiencies, value and services. It is about how these companies can better – and more intelligently – serve their communities, offering reliable and sustainable energy services. 

Next week, March 7-9, electric cooperative executives and industry professionals are coming together at TechAdvantage in Nashville to discuss these many challenges and how intelligent data can electrify a new sustainable future. It’s clear that smart energy technology innovations will be an essential element.

Itron, a leader in intelligent networks, software, services, and meters, announced today that Utilismart Corporation is collaborating with Itron to deliver an end-to-end metering solution for U.S. and Canadian cooperative and municipal utilities. The advanced AMR and AMI technology is giving small-sized utilities a full data collection solution for better business decision-making. 

As TechAdvantage attendees can learn from visiting Itron Booth #1323, Itron offers smart innovations for all size electric cooperatives through a variety of services and technology including: 

• AMI Essentials Solution – A new offering for the cooperative market. This competitive AMI solution offers a full array of the components needed for growing utilities and the ability to add optimal solution components.
• DA Essentials Solution – With the intelligence gathered from your AMI network, cooperatives can identify issues and restore services quickly, resulting in improved reliability, situational awareness and localized control. 
• Itron Smart Pay – Itron Smart Pay uniquely offers the ability to calculate customer usage thresholds within the meter rather than headend system, allowing more precise alerting to members as to usage and payment targets. In addition, Itron Smart Pay allows load limiting rather than hard disconnects allowing prepay members to retain a predetermined amount of energy prior to payment. And all members, whether pre or post pay, may utilize the payment services offered by Itron Smart Pay.
• Fiber to Home – With the infrastructure bill funding poised to bring faster and more broadband communications to rural areas, Itron and its partners are developing new interfaces to leverage the fiber investments to create smart communities at the meter and network levels. 
• Cellular AMI – Itron and Utilismart have announced a marketing partnership to expand electric cellular metering with Utilismart’s analytics. Enabling is just one example of how utilities are expanding their deployment of applications for better operations and fast response times. 

Attending TechAdvantage next week in Nashville? Stop by Itron Booth #1323 to speak with us directly to discuss how to bring intelligence to your cooperative. Or reach out to us directly for a conversation on how your cooperative can offer intelligent, reliable solutions to their customers.