Con Edison prepares for major NYC smart meter rollout

Dive Brief:

The New York Public Service Commission last week approved an advanced metering rollout for Consolidated Edison (ConEd) in New York City and Westchester County, a move aimed at bringing unprecedented data granularity and demand management capabilities to the state, Greentech Media reports.
The PSC's decision includes 15-minute meter reads for residential customers, five-minute reads for non-residential customers, and directs ConEd to employ the Green Button Connect data sharing standard.
ConEd estimated a net benefit over more than $1 billion to customers through new programs and demand management capabilities, along with a more responsive and reliable system.
In total, ConEd will deploy 3.6 million advanced electric meters and more than 1 million gas meters through 2022.

Dive Insight:

The complete rollout of advanced metering in the New York City area could be a boon to both customers and Consolidated Edison, but Greentech Media dug into the PSC's order and found some provisions are still looking for financial backing. The utility had originally proposed hourly meter reads for residential customers, and while the enhanced data will help third-party providers of energy services, it is unclear who will pay for the more frequent data calls.

A similar issue surrounds the Green Button Connect directive, which will also need to be paid for. ConEd had originally opposed adopting data sharing standard. Mission:data, which represents third-party energy companies like SolarCity and EnerNOC, issued a statement saying it still had questions about the PSC's decision.

"One issue that will require us to be on guard is that ConEd still wants to charge a fee for some types of data access," the group said. "ConEd asked for $15 million to implement GBC, and the utility indicated hourly data would be without charge, but the issue is not off the table for more granular data, such as 15-minute readings."

But while details are still being hashed out – ConEd will submit a plan in July – officials say the meters will enable greater reliability and cost savings.

“The operational savings, new system-wide efficiencies and overall customer savings that will occur as a result of this cutting-edge initiative will be significant,” PSC Chair Audrey Zibelman said in a statement. “As the first-of-its-kind system in New York State, this is a milestone in Reforming the Energy Vision, Governor Cuomo’s strategy to bring cleaner, more-resilient and affordable energy to all New Yorkers.”

The new capabilities will give customers access to a personalized online portal, accessible through smart phones and smart devices; usage alerts throughout the month; and greater control to manage their bills by participating in energy efficiency, demand response and other demand management programs.