August 7, 2009
Duke seeks stimulus money for 'smart' meters
Duke Energy would accelerate its deployment of more than 800,000 so-called "smart meters" in Ohio and Kentucky, one of the largest such investments in the country, under a $200 million federal stimulus grant request submitted today to the Department of Energy.
Duke joins dozens of other utilities around the country seeking a piece of the more than $4 billion the DOE expects to award by year's end for smart-grid initiatives, using two-way digital communication to improve energy efficiency and reliability by detecting power failures sooner.
"Our goal is to replace today's non-interactive electric grid with a highly interactive two-way communication grid that used advanced digital technology," said Todd Arnold, senior vice president for smart grid and customer systems for the Charlotte, N.C.-based company.
Duke, which has 700,000 electric customers in southwest Ohio and another 100,000 in Northern Kentucky, has deployed 48,000 smart electric meters and 29,000 gas meters in Ohio. It doesn't yet have regulatory authority to begin deployment in Kentucky, a spokesman said.
The utility expected to complete the $1 billion electric grid modernization in its Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana region by 2014. If it receives the federal stimulus money, the deployment could be completed by 2012, Duke said. Besides new customer meters the system includes new switches and sensors on distribution lines.
As part of its request, Duke also is seeking $14 million for smart grid transmission lines and demonstration projects in its North and South Carolina service area.
Friday, August 07, 2009
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