20030816Comment.pdf

Jean JewellFrom:Sent:To:Subject:Ed HowellFriday, August 15 , 2003 12:55 PMJean Jewell; Ed Howell; Gene Fadness; Tonya ClarkComment acknowledgementWWW Form Submission:Friday, August 15 , 200311:54:45 AMCase: IPC-E-02-Name: Ka te 0 BrienStreet Addres s: 2800 Duncan RoadCi ty: LafayetteState: InZIP: 47904HomeTelephone: 765-429-1462E-Mail: kate. 0 I brien~us .landisgyr. comCompany:mailing list _yes _no: noCommentdescription: Landis+Gyr is pleased to respond to the PUC's request for comments.Our responses to your questions are listed below:1. Should the Commission direct Idaho Power to implement AMR on it I s system?AMR should be implemented if it makes economic sense and provides value to IdahoPowers customers. Gi ven the power fluctuations experienced in the last few years , manybelieve that 2-way AMR systems can be justified solely based on their demand responsebenefi ts during cri tical peak periods.
2. How can advanced metering technology enable Idaho Power Company and ratepayers to make
the most of future 'smart grid" transmission and distribution technology?
Today s advanced metering technology invariably allows metering data to be transmi tted
from the host server over secured internet connections. 'Smart' grid systems can easily
have access to this data via the internet or by FTP data file transfer. This will allowthese s ys tems to analyze load usage , outage info., etc. in 'real-time ' at nearly all
endpoints on the distribution system and make faster decisions during cri tical periods.
3. As part of a wise investment , what features or technology should Idaho Power employ?
Due to the diverse geography of Idaho Power s service terri tory, it appears to makes
sense to implement a mix of AMR technologies. An RF solution could be used in the more
densely populated urban areas while a PLC solution (such as the DCSI technology proposed
by Idaho Power) would make more sense in the rural areas.
Landis+Gyr , in conjunction with StatSignal , has a 2-way RF solution that is ideal for
urban AMR deployments. Wi th this system , Idaho Power can essentially create an RF
blanket over the urban areas that will allow them to offer advanced services , which can
greatly enhance the value of the system and economics of their business case. These
advanced features , such as demand response via Smart Thermostats and Discreet Load
Control , will have immediate impact to Idaho Power s customers during critical peakperiods. Addi tional features such as Remote Connect/Disconnect , Outage Management , Theft
Detection Home Securi ty, Heal th Moni toring, and Home Automation provide addi tional
benefi ts that will enhance the business case and add value to Idaho consumers.
The Landis+Gyr/StatSignal ADI system can utilize any WAN backbone that Idaho Power already
has i n p 1 ace , sue h as a Fib r e - 0 p tic 1 0 0 P , R F r a d i 0 , mi c row a ve , e t c . his wi 11 a 11 ow I d a h 0
Power to save on recurring airtime costs plus maintain control of the WAN backboneinfrastructure.
Landis+Gyr also works wi th a wide variety of quali ty AMR solution providers , such as DCSIItron, Schlumberger/Cellnet , Hunt American Innovations , etc.
4. Under what timeframe should Idaho Power implement AMR?The 4 yr. deployment plan proposed by Idaho Power suggests going after the hardestcost of service customers first , followed by targeted urban areas. Although this strategymakes practical sense from the standpoint of meter reading costs , initial deployments overthe more heavily populated urban areas provides the most impact from a demand responseperspecti ve.5. How should Idaho Power recover the costs associated wi th AMR?The pending Federal Energy Tax bill will allow accelerated depreciation of the AMRmeters from 15 yrs. to 3 years. A monthly charge could also be added to customer s billsto offset the cost of the AMR system. Addi tional revenues could be generated by monthlyfees from the sale of optional enhanced services offered to customers (e. g. homemoni toring/ security) Transaction ID: 8151154.Referred by: http: / /www. puc. s tate. id. us scripts /polyform. dll/ ipucUse r Add res s: 6 6 . 8 4 . 2 0 5 . 1 8 6Us e r Ho s tname: 66. 84 . 205 . 18