S&C Electric and Oracle to Develop Interoperable Smart Grid Systems

S&C Electric Company today announced that it is working with Oracle to develop and promote advanced distribution management systems for the Smart Grid. Designed to achieve interoperability between Oracle Utilities Network Management System and S&C's IntelliTEAM SG® Automatic Restoration System, the resulting integration will support utilities' Smart Grid build-outs. S&C and Oracle are demonstrating integrated solutions this week at DistribuTECH in Tampa, FL.

"Today's emerging Smart Grid deployments require that technologies work together to ensure efficient and reliable delivery of power," said Witold Bik, Vice President of S&C's Automation Systems Division. "We are excited to offer to our customers seamlessly integrated Smart Grid solutions that align S&C's distributed, time-critical feeder reconfiguration systems with Oracle's industry-leading network and asset management solutions."

S&C's teaming with Oracle is a significant step in the practical implementation of a fully interoperable, unified Smart Grid power delivery system. This effort will help expand the benefits of S&C's industry-leading IntelliTEAM II®, which has hundreds of installations worldwide, as well as the newly released S&C IntelliTEAM SG. The 3rd generation of S&C's self-healing, scalable, distributed intelligence-based fault isolation and reconfiguration system, IntelliTEAM SG offers the fastest restoration solution on the market.

"By combining our unique strengths, Oracle Utilities and S&C are taking an important step forward in meeting utilities' Smart Grid challenges," said Bradley Williams, Vice President, Product Strategy, Oracle Utilities. "Based on a common data model and easily integrated with Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management and Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing, this integrated solution will provide utilities with a wealth of information that helps improve network performance and customer satisfaction. Working together, we plan to provide safe, secure and reliable Smart Grid management systems, and help utilities manage the exponential growth of data."

S&C's expertise in Smart Grid distribution automation solutions complements Oracle Utilities' proven industry experience and mission-critical software applications, including Oracle Utilities Network Management System, Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management, Oracle Utilities Mobile Workforce Management and Oracle Utilities Work and Asset Management. The Oracle system helps utilities efficiently distribute power, improve network reliability and reduce outage durations. S&C Electric Company is a Gold member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork.

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DOE Awards $200 Million Smart Grid Investment Grant to CenterPoint

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC, has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive a $200 million stimulus grant for its advanced metering system and intelligent grid projects. The agreement is the culmination of negotiations that began in November 2009 after the DOE selected CenterPoint Energy as one of six utilities to receive the maximum smart grid grant under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.

"We are very pleased to have finalized this agreement with the DOE to help accelerate the deployment of our advanced metering system and fund the first phase of an intelligent grid," said Tom Standish, group president of Regulated Operations for CenterPoint Energy. "These funds will help deliver the benefits of smart meters and the intelligent grid to Houston-area electric consumers sooner while reducing the amount that they will have to pay for this significant upgrade to the electric grid."

The CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric grant application requested $150 million to accelerate its current installation of smart electric meters and associated equipment that make up its Advanced Metering System (AMS). The application also requested $50 million that will be used to begin building a self-healing Intelligent Grid that utilizes the AMS and other technologies to improve operational efficiency and power reliability in greater Houston.

Since March 2009, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric has installed more than 267,000 smart meters and, with the aid of the grant, expects to complete installation of over 2 million smart meters, along with the necessary communications infrastructure and computing systems, in 2012 rather than 2014 as originally planned. The initial Intelligent Grid deployment is expected to be completed in 2013.

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