Rhode Island Energy gets approval for advanced meter upgrades
The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission approved a plan by Rhode Island Energy to upgrade its meters with advanced meters for customers.
The company will implement its Advanced Metering Functionality (AMF) plan across the state over the next three years.
“The Commission’s approval to implement our AMF plan is an important step in modernizing the state’s energy infrastructure for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders,” Dave Bonenberger, president of Rhode Island Energy, said. “We’ve seen the success of these new technologies across other PPL service territories, and customers should be excited about the advantages they’ll bring to their homes and businesses.”
Roughly 60 percent of the electric meters across the state are nearing the end of their design life and need to be replaced. The advanced meters will give customers greater control, choice, and convenience in managing their energy consumption. AMF technology will also enhance outage management capabilities and enable more convenient remote service connections.
“We know that this endeavor will also help us deliver the clean energy network our customers and communities deserve. And importantly, it reflects a collaborative effort between Rhode Island Energy, our regulators, and key stakeholders to create a more efficient, resilient, responsive grid to meet 21st century demands,” Bonenberger added.
The commission capped the potential capital cost of installing the new meters at approximately $153 million.
The company projects that the total cumulative bill impact for a typical residential customer will vary from less than a $1 to less than $4 per month at the peak of the deployment schedule.
Rhode Island Energy, owned by PPL Corp., expects the first of the new meters to be rolled out in late 2024. Before that, the company will communicate with customers and provide more details about the technology in advance of installation. They can also opt-out.
