Itron Inc. has signed a contract with DTE Energy to provide the Detroit-based utility with OpenWay advanced metering technology to automate a total of 2.6 million electric meters and 700,000 natural gas meters over the next six years.

DTE Energy’s two operating utilities, Detroit Edison and Michigan Consolidated Gas, will install approximately 30,000 OpenWay electricity meters and gas modules for system evaluation and performance testing. The installations will take place primarily in the Detroit area.

Subject to successful performance testing, full deployment of the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system will commence in 2009. The contract includes OpenWay CENTRON electric meters, gas modules and related system software and implementation services.

Itron’s OpenWay system is the foundation for smart metering and supports smart energy transmission and distribution grids by providing a two-way communication network between the utility and each meter. OpenWay provides interval data collection, time-of-use metering, load limiting remote disconnect and reconnect, outage detection, net metering capability and ZigBee home area network connectivity, which empowers all customers to participate in energy management and conservation.

“We are pleased to have reached this initial step in bringing this technology to our system, and will be announcing soon a program of integrated products and services that will benefit our customers as a result of this exciting technology,” said Robert J. Buckler, president and chief operating officer of Detroit Edison.