Two New York Utilities Would Implement Territory-Wide Deployment Of Smart Meters (AMI) Under Joint Proposal

New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E) (collectively, the Companies), New York State Department of Public Service Staff, Multiple Intervenors, and certain ratepayer and green groups have filed a joint proposal in the Companies' electric and natural gas rates cases before the New York PSC, which would authorize the territory-wide deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

AARP New York and the Public Utility Law Project (PULP) oppose the JP

The settlement provides for the implementation of AMI technology, or smart meters, for all NYSEG and RG&E electric and gas customers. That reflects approximately 1.3 million electric meters and approximately 600,000 gas meters

The Companies will also implement Information Technology ('IT') infrastructure and software applications to collect, manage, store, and protect AMI information, support customer data needs to improve decisions regarding energy use and, "support innovative rate structures to encourage efficient customer consumption of energy."

The Companies will use Green Button Connect for customers to share AMI data with third parties

"The Companies’ GBC implementation will provide functionality that allows customers the flexibility to control their data. Third parties will be approved by the utility. As a result, customers will be able to authorize the utility to share data with their selected third parties," an AMI plan said

"As part of the smart meter implementation plan, the companies will also upgrade billing systems and implement customer energy usage systems that will provide customers with more granular data about their energy usage (15-minute intervals for residential customers and 5-minute intervals for commercial) to allow for better energy management," the Companies said in a news release

The Companies propose to begin development of the IT infrastructure platform and applications for AMI in the third quarter of 2020 (i.e., a six month delay from their original plan) so that the infrastructure is in place to go into service when the meter deployment effort begins in the second quarter of 2022.

AMI meter deployment is proposed to start in 2022, with a three-year field effort to replace or upgrade customer meters and install the communications network, which will end during the first half of 2025.

Cases 19-E-0378 et al.