Itron Inc. has announced a contract with Avista Utilities for a first-phase deployment of Itron Enterprise Edition Meter Data Management solutions to collect and analyze energy usage information and increase the energy efficiency of the utility system.

Itron’s Enterprise Edition (IEE) Meter Data Management is an enterprise-wide data management solution that collects energy consumption information and builds a central repository of data to optimize the efficiency of the electric distribution system. The software enables the consolidation and management of data from dissimilar meter devices. It is a scalable, open-architecture system that provides secure, accurate, reliable data to a wide array of billing and analysis systems.

“We are collecting energy usage information from 20,000 Itron devices installed at customer residences and businesses that will provide valuable information to gain efficiencies in delivering power to our customers,” said Don Kopczynski, vice president of transmission and distribution operations for Avista.

“Itron Meter Data Management allows us to build a central repository of energy usage information from many different types of electric meters installed at homes and businesses,” he added. “Our customers are better served when we can anticipate potential outages and continue to increase the efficiency of our system.”

Avista is a long-time Itron customer, using Itron meters, fixed network, mobile automated meter reading (AMR) and handheld computers. This is the first phase of Avista’s move toward more advanced AMR. By using IEE, Avista can maximize the value of the energy usage information collected and apply it to other areas of its operations.

Philip Mezey, senior vice president for Itron software solutions, said with IEE, Avista can fully capitalize on the enterprise value of metering-based data by breaking down the “data silos” that accompany multiple collection systems serving multiple customer segments. One single repository for data allows Avista to tap that information throughout the entire utility.