Portland General Electric Co. (Portland, Oregon, U.S.) will begin rolling out more than 800,000 smart meters across its 4000-sq-mile (10,360-sq-km) service area.

The next-generation electrical meters will help the utility and its customers manage energy use, as well as enhance customer service and reduce operating expenses.

PGE began installing smart meters last year in selected test neighborhoods before rolling them out territorywide. The rest of the smart meters will be installed in an 18-month process slated for completion by late 2010.

The new meters, which communicate over a wireless network much like a cell phone system, will provide PGE with two-way communications to its residential and commercial meters, enabling many customer benefits:

• Cost savings

  PGE anticipates millions in operational cost savings per year once the system is fully up and running, saving customers at least US$34 million over the next 20 years.

• Environmental benefits

  Fewer meter-reading vehicles will cut mileage, save gasoline and reduce CO₂ emissions.

• Helps customers save energy

  Customers with smart meters will be able to access detailed information online.

• Speeds power restoration

  In the future, PGE will be able to respond to power outages faster through information received via the smart metering system.

• Future demand-response programs

  The system is expected to support the future development of demand-response and direct load-control programs, which will reduce the need for new generation resources to meet peak demand.

The capital cost of the project is expected to be $130 million to $135 million.