Elster Electricity (Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.) recently launched its Advanced Grid Infrastructure (AGI) Initiative, a collaborative effort between utilities, Elster and key technology partners to realize innovative advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)-based solutions for the grid of the future.

AGI will provide the utility industry with a powerful set of hardware and software solutions in the critical area of network automation. This initiative will allow Elster and its partners to offer standards-based solutions that enable utilities to improve the operation of the electrical network by leveraging their AMI investment.

“As part of its commitment to the vision of a smarter power grid, Elster has joined EPRI's IntelliGrid program,” says David G. Hart, Elster Electricity senior vice president of product development and quality. “By partnering with technology providers who have a shared vision of a smarter grid, Elster will further expand the solutions offered by our EnergyAxis AMI System. These new solutions will take AMI to the next level and enable utilities to realize additional benefits.”

EPRI's IntelliGrid program provides utilities with standards-based methodology, tools, recommendations and technologies for implementing advanced metering, distribution automation, and demand-response and wide-area measurement systems. The program also provides utilities with independent, unbiased technology and vendor product testing.

Elster's EnergyAxis System delivers advanced AMI solutions for the electricity, gas and water industries. Elster has the largest two-way mesh radio frequency AMI deployment in the world that is delivering complex billing information and performing disconnects and reconnects on a daily basis. Elster has already shipped more than 1.3 million two-way EnergyAxis smart meters.