News Release Date: March 9, 2009
LIPA President/CEO Kevin Law, Rep. Israel and Local Business Owners Launch New Smart Metering Program
With LIPA Kicking Off Unprecedented Pilot Program, Customers to Save Money by Monitoring and Adapting Energy Usage
Over $700,000 in Anticipated Federal Funds Will Allow For Expansion into Hundreds of New Homes and Businesses
Hauppauge, NY— President and CEO of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Kevin S. Law and U.S. Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, today announced the launch of LIPA’s Smart Meter demonstration program and the adoption of the federal omnibus appropriations bill in the House of Representatives, which includes $713,000 of funding by Congressman Israel to advance the program. Passage is expected shortly in the U.S. Senate and the President has stated he will sign the bill into law. Smart Meters are the next generation of electric meters that will allow energy consumers to monitor and reduce energy usage, increase reliability and encourage energy efficiency by facilitating smarter end-user technologies.
Congressman Israel and Law made the announcement at the Hauppauge offices of Globecomm, a world leader in communications located in the Hauppauge Industrial Park. A total of 200 industrial, commercial, and residential LIPA customers from Hauppauge and Bethpage have been selected to participate in the pilot program.
LIPA has allocated $3 million for smart meters in the 2009 capital budget and $5 million in 2010, while Congressman Israel has secured an additional $713,000 in federal funding to expand the pilot program.
“With the implementation of smart meters, our customers will receive more detailed information on their energy consumption which will help them make smarter choices to become more energy efficient and save money,” said Law. "We have a 20th Century low- tech grid in a 21st Century high-tech world and we need to address that challenge through projects like this one."
“In today’s economy, we’re all looking for ways to save money. Smart metering can help us better manage our utility bills with increased energy efficiency,” said Rep. Steve Israel. “The House of Representatives just approved more than $700,000 in federal funds to implement and expand this project. I’m proud to be working with LIPA to bring Long Island the latest technology to meet our energy needs.”
"Given the nature of our business as a world leading communications center, Globecomm relies on our telecommunication equipment including high power transmitters, receivers, modems and hundreds of computers and servers every day for an array of global projects ranging anywhere from right here in Hauppauge to Afghanistan," said David Hershberg, Chairman and CEO of Globecomm. “By participating in this cutting edge technology, we will no doubt be able to use smart metering to take a new approach to managing our energy costs and leveraging opportunities for enhanced energy efficiency while doing our part for the environment. With the present financial environment it could not happen at a better time."
Smart metering technology is an important first step in modernizing Long Island’s electric grid and is consistent with Governor David A. Paterson’s recently announced “45 by 15” program, which establishes the goal for the State to meet 45 percent of its electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and renewable sources by the year 2015. Rolling out smart meter technology was also a recommendation of Governor Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force in February 2008.
The technological advances made possible through smart meters will help LIPA initiate or enhance more advanced programs, including Smart Grid distribution operations improvement and time-differentiated price signals. This smart metering pilot project will involve the installation of smart meters for commercial and residential customers and will provide LIPA with the newest information on how smart metering technology will benefit its customers. LIPA will test a number of functions:
- The ability to collect meter information using the new technology.
- The ability to share meter information with the customer in near real time.
- The ability to provide pricing signals to customers.
- The ability to detect system conditions, including load and usage along the system.
- The ability to remotely send control signals to equipment situated along the distribution system.
- The feasibility of various communications schemes and technologies.
Through a secured website, smart meters will allow LIPA customers to see how much electricity they are using and at what rate, hoping they will have a better understanding of their usage and encourage them to change the pattern of how they use electricity with an eye toward lowering their demand, becoming more energy efficient, and lowering their bills.
Smart metering and the evolution of a new smart grid has been a priority of President Obama’s energy cabinet and will help guarantee a safe and reliable power source for Long Island’s future.
“I commend Congressman Israel for recognizing the value of this project and securing key federal dollars that will help accelerate the expansion of the smart metering program,” said Law. "And we are going to continue working together to try to secure federal stimulus funds to help with the costs of installing smart meters system wide."
LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered. In 2011, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State for frequency and duration of service interruptions. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at http://www.lipower.org.
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