Utility weighing AMI upgrade: company highlights safety, leak detection and customer data benefits

Company staff described an evaluation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) as part of broader system modernization planning. Presenters said AMI differs from the current AMR (drive-by reads) by enabling two-way communications, quicker emergency response, tamper and temperature alarms and analytics that can surface leaks or abnormal usage patterns.

Dan McDonald and members of the AMI team (Carrie Sals, Jake May and Sher Richardson) explained operational benefits: quicker detection of overheating or tampering, remote credit disconnects that do not require field tag-and-lock visits, and customer portals that show near-real-time usage to support conservation and billing clarity. They said pilot ultrasonic meters (about 500 units) have been placed in AMR mode and proved promising for footprint and analytics.

"That's a safety measure," McDonald said of temperature alarms and remote shutoff capability, noting a potential latency under three minutes for high-priority commands depending on vendor choices. He added, "we can shut that meter off" as an example of a speedier emergency response enabled by AMI.

Staff described three communications approaches under evaluation (licensed point-to-multipoint, mesh with neighborhood collectors and cellular) and a range of MDMS/data-storage options. The presenter said the company is collecting vendor proposals and is preparing cost comparisons for (a) replacing AMR with a newer AMR technology and (b) the delta to go full AMI. They confirmed the company expects to return to the commission with a filing documenting the request and proposed cost recovery for any capital delta.

Company staff highlighted risks and tradeoffs: cybersecurity and insurance implications, battery and device lifecycles (typical useful life ~20 years), and the operational complexity of building the communications and data-management backbone (most front-end infrastructure work expected within the program's first five years). Staff discussed a phased, largely age-targeted replacement strategy rather than a single massive swap, though they said front-end network, MDMS and analytics would need earlier buildout.

Why it matters: AMI changes meter-read operations, customer interactions, outage/leak detection and privacy/risk considerations. The company expects to present a formal filing to the commission that will include cost/benefit and procurement details before seeking approval.