Minnesota town takes electricity, gas systems into 21st century

The city of Hutchinson in Minnesota is looking to get smarter about its electricity and gas distribution systems, and it’s turned to a North Carolina-based advanced metering company to help.

With the support of Sensus, the Hutchinson Utility Commission plans to deploy more than 7,000 iCon® electric meters and more than 5,000 natural gas meter SmartPoints that will enable remote readings for both utility types. Meter communications will be enabled via Sensus’ FlexNet network

By 2012, Sensus expects to have put online more than 10,000 advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) endpoints for electric and gas meters in the area.

Hutchinson is upgrading its metering technology to improve operational efficiency, support energy and resource conservation initiatives, and provide enhanced customer service to city residents and businesses.

“With FlexNet, we have a streamlined solution for supporting communications with our meters,” said John Webster, AMI coordinator at Hutchinson Utilities. “The new system mitigates human reading error and ensures billing accuracy from one central location.”

Hutchinson plans to use FlexNet across its near-eight square-mile service area to improve record-keeping accuracy and theft detection, take advantage of current smart-grid development initiatives, and better manage and balance their natural gas purchases and sales. The city also plans to implement electric and natural gas load studies to ensure its systems are correctly sized to maximize efficiency.

In the future, the city might also add more smart-grid technologies such as demand management, smart thermostats and in-home displays.