American Electric Power and Utilidata Agree to Develop Next Generation of Grid Applications

Utilidata, Inc. has entered into an agreement with American Electric Power to inform and advance the next generation of grid side applications that will be built on Utilidata’s digital technology platform. This unique research and development agreement between the technology company and leading utility will accelerate the application of digital control technologies to high value smart grid solutions. Utilidata has already deployed its existing AdaptiVolt voltage optimization products in a number of AEP territories.

As part of the research and development collaboration, technical and commercial leaders from AEP will support the product development work being done at Utilidata’s newly commissioned smart grid simulation and research center in Providence, Rhode Island. The new Utilidata facility is designed to support the testing of current and future digital control technologies that will deliver superior Volt/VAR optimization, peak demand reduction and conservation voltage reduction in an environment that can simulate real-world conditions on the electric grid. The collaborative approach will entail looking at new areas where digital signal processing could improve utility operations, including fault indication and integration of distributed generation, electric vehicles on the distribution system.

Utilidata is applying digital Signal Processing (DSP) in profound new ways to deal with the dynamic operating environment electric utilities are now facing. This same technology that propelled the growth of digital photography, digital music and digital communications is now being brought to bear on solving present and future challenges utilities are facing. Utilidata’s unique approach using DSP to provide measurably better Volt/VAR Optimization, represented in its AdaptiVolt solution, is the first in a portfolio of solutions that Utilidata is bringing to market for advanced grid management.