KIUC Linemen All Geared Up - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

12 KIUC CURRENTS
By Anne Barnes
New Technology
to Help Us
Serve You Better
Frequently asked questions about smart meters
In November 2009, KIUC and 26 other electric
cooperatives from 10 states were awarded a $33.9
million matching grant from the U.S. Department
of Energy under the American Reinvestment and
Recovery Act (ARRA) for smart grid demonstration
projects. DOE awarded the National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association’s Cooperative Research
Network half of the project’s total cost of $67
million to test and develop technologies that
operate together to make the grid more efficient
and reliable. The cost of KIUC’s project is $11
million, of which $5.5 million is being provided by
the ARRA.
As part of the program, KIUC is investing in new,
smart meters to improve the efficiency and
reliability of the electric system. Members have
begun asking questions about these new meters
and how they work. Here are the most common
questions and answers.
Why are we changing to the
automated meters?
The meter upgrade provides KIUC members
with numerous benefits:
■ Faster outage restoration
■ Potential energy savings
■ Improved power quality
■ Ability to monitor energy consumption
■ Bill date flexibility
When will my meter be installed?
KIUC anticipates installation for the
demonstration project to begin in 2012. The fiveyear
process will include an expected two years of
installation of new meters at members’ homes
and installing communications infrastructure to
assess smart grid effectiveness, and three years
for data gathering and analysis.