Grid management services provider SparkMeter has signed two contracts with Midwest utilities Cuivre River Electric Cooperative (CREC) and Rochester Public Utilities (RPU), to provide grid modernisation software.
The agreements provide CREC and RPU with access to SparkMeter’s AI-ready Praxis platform, along with GridScan and GridFin software. This will improve grid data management, operational reliability and energy supply costs.
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The Midwest, home to one of the world’s largest energy markets, is grappling with ageing, underperforming electric distribution infrastructure.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) estimates that $100bn is required for new grid infrastructure, to meet decarbonisation targets and to accommodate rising demand from new data centres, electric vehicle charging and expanding manufacturing operations.
CREC is working alongside SparkMeter to streamline and automate various components of its financial operations.
Using SparkMeter’s GridFin software, CREC can track electricity costs, utilise real-time data to inform critical decisions and simulate the impact of rate changes on their bills.
CREC will use SparkMeter’s GridScan software to evaluate the performance of current transformers, relocating overloaded transformers to zones with lower demand and underused transformers to areas with higher demand.
CREC president and CEO Doug Tracy stated: “SparkMeter’s GridScan and GridFin solutions have contributed tremendously to improving our operations. We only wish we had SparkMeter’s innovative grid technology 20 years ago to enhance reliability and improve economics for our members.
“We are taking our partnership with SparkMeter to the next level to support our growth as a leader in the energy industry and enable us to better serve our members.”
In Rochester, Minnesota, RPU is collaborating with SparkMeter to handle increasing data demands as it shifts from automated meter reading technology to advanced metering infrastructure.
RPU IT manager Phil Teng stated: “Much of our day-to-day work involves manual data input and manipulation from multiple team members. SparkMeter’s solutions will enable our team to streamline manual processes, allowing us to reallocate resources to work that is more valuable and meaningful to our ratepayers.”
RPU will now be able to make informed decisions regarding its pricing and the relocation and resizing of transformers without relying on manual work or waiting for consultant reports that can take months to obtain.
RPU general manager Tim McCollough stated: “The traditional approaches to grid management can’t keep pace with today’s challenges. SparkMeter’s platform combines our disparate systems’ data into actionable insights to allow us to align our rate structures with actual costs and make data-driven decisions on infrastructure investments.”
