Saint John Energy’s Perspective on AMI
AMI and the smart grid are often related, but they are not synonymous. AMI can be a component of the smart grid, but it’s not the whole picture.
By Jeff Garrett, December 19, 2019
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) or as it is more commonly referred to as smart meters have been in the headlines recently, as NB Power’s January hearing before the Energy and Utilities Board approaches.
“Some Smart Grid technologies can be deployed independently of AMI. Others benefit when AMI is also in place.”
Here at Saint John Energy, we support our sister utility’s application to adopt and deploy AMI, a system of digital hardware and software that provides real-time data on energy consumption and allows two-way communication between a utility and its customers.
As an early adopter of smart meters and other AMI technology, we fully understand the potential benefits of this technology. And as a progressive utility that factors sustainability into all our practices and plans, we also know that given industry trends the widespread adoption of AMI is inevitable.
If NB Power is convinced AMI will benefit its operations and its customers and that it demonstrates a net-positive business case it should be allowed to proceed with the modernization of its metering system. I wish N.B. Power well in that process.
As ever, along with safety, our top priority at Saint John Energy is ensuring we provide our customers with clean, low-cost power. To that end, our involvement in the coming hearing will be to ensure that any costs related to NB Power’s potential deployment of AMI that are not linked to serving Saint John Energy are not passed on to our customers.
The Smart Grid is not AMI and Vice Versa
AMI and the smart grid are often related, but they are not synonymous. AMI can be a component of the smart grid, but it’s not the whole picture.
“As it has matured over the last decade, its benefits have increased, its costs have come down and its place in the larger system has become clear.”
The smart grid involves our utility’s communications network, infrastructure, data and computer systems. The smart grid is evolving to use machine-learning to predict how much energy will be needed at any given time and optimize how it is distributed and stored. It enables diverse and geographically scattered renewable power sources, including our new Burchill Wind Energy Project, and storage in utility-scale batteries.
AMI is an integrated system of digital hardware and software, including smart meters, communications networks and data management systems, that enables two-way communication between utilities and customers.
Some Smart Grid technologies can be deployed independently of AMI. Others benefit when AMI is also in place. Finally, there are some aspects of the Smart Grid that can only be achieved by the adoption of AMI.
Saint John Energy and AMI
Saint John Energy has been using early-generation AMI technology for more than a decade. Today, about 25 per cent of our customers have smart meters. We stopped adding more AMI meters about five years ago, but not because we didn’t see the benefits. We stopped because at the time the technology was rapidly maturing, and we wanted to wait for that process to play out. In the interim, we have continued to update our business cases around AMI and, independent of NB Power’s process, we continue to investigate technologies that are optimized for our service territory.
AMI is the Future
The way technology is advancing, the adoption of AMI is a matter of when – not if. In my 30-year career at Saint John Energy, I can hardly think of a process that has not changed due to the influence of technology. AMI is part of the next wave of smart, digital systems. As it has matured over the last decade, its benefits have increased, its costs have come down and its place in the larger system has become clear. AMI will be with us moving forward.
Jeff Garrett has more than 30 years of experience with Saint John Energy, serving in finance, administrative, rate-making and regulatory capacities. Having previously served for over a decade as the utility’s manager of finance, he is Saint John Energy’s manager of compliance, regulatory and commercial affairs.