August 1, 2012 – FortisBC Inc. has selected Itron’s smart grid solution—consisting of advanced metering, network communications and software systems—to support the utility’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) project. The solution will enable FortisBC, an integrated energy solutions provider serving about 162,000 electricity customers in the southern interior of British Columbia, to modernize its electrical grid.

The project, which still requires approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission, includes 115,000 Itron advanced meters operated over a multi-application IPv6 communication network based on Cisco’s GridBlocks architecture. In addition, FortisBC will install Itron’s meter data management and data presentment software for the processing and analysis of meter and other utility-related data. The contract is worth about $21 million, and installation is expected to be complete by the end of 2015.

“At FortisBC, meter reading has largely been a manual process. Itron’s smart grid solution will help us build a more secure and reliable grid, enabling key programs for consumer engagement and grid efficiency,” said Mark Warren, director of customer service at FortisBC.

The smart grid solution will allow FortisBC to implement consumer engagement programs and give utility customers greater control of their energy use, says Itron. Moreover, with capabilities such as outage notification and theft detection, FortisBC will realize operational savings and greater system efficiency.