Avista’s Washington customers will get smart meters over the next two years, enabling them to track their energy use within a 24-hour period and helping the utility more quickly respond to power outages.
The $165 million in new technology will replace a meter system with roots dating to the 1940s.
Nationwide, more than 75 million electric meters fit the smart meter profile. With a smart meter system, Avista’s 450,000 Washington electric and gas customers can sign up for alerts if their energy use begins to exceed their average consumption level. Eventually, customers will be able to access information about their energy usage from an app on their phone.
The meters measure the customers’ energy use and send the information to a network router installed on a nearby utility pole. The data is sent to Avista through a secure satellite or cellular signal. Company officials say no identifiable customer information, such as names or addresses, will be collected or transmitted. Data about energy use will be encrypted and sent through a secure network through low-power-frequency radio waves.
The first 3,800 smart meters will be installed this fall in Airway Heights, Spokane’s University District and the Clear Lake area. After the installation, Avista will monitor how the new meters are working it embarks a major deployment.
The installation will continue through the fall of 2020. (Spokesman-Review)
