Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. and five of its eight member cooperatives will deploy the Aclara TWACS technology advanced metering infrastructure. The new system collects readings automatically, provides remote connection and disconnection of meters, and allows load shedding during times of peak usage.
Rushmore, a generation and transmission (G&T) electricity provider located in Rapid City, South Dakota, cited TWACS technology’s two-way communications and demand-response capabilities as key factors in its choice. TWACS demand-response units will allow Rushmore’s member utilities to shed load by controlling equipment such as air conditioning units, and hot water heaters during periods of peak demand. This will allow Rushmore’s member utilities to balance demand throughout the day, keeping the capital costs associated with the generation system under control.
Up to 28,000 meter end points and 10,000 demand-response units are expected to be deployed. The five member utilities that will deploy TWACS technology are West River, West Central, Cherry-Todd, Butte, and Moreau-Grand Electric Cooperatives.
The Aclara Two-Way Automatic Communications System (TWACS) technology is a fixed-network solution that uses patented technology to transmit data over power lines. Aclara TWACS technology offers two-way communication to electric meters and provides for timely billing, load control, demand response, and outage detection and assessment. With the system, utilities can effectively manage customer data and reduce costs while enabling innovation and providing superior customer service
