Greentech Lead America: Utility Partners of America (UPA), which helps utilities install and upgrade water, gas and electric meters embedded with time and money-saving technology, has connected more than 100,000 Texas homes and businesses to the “smart grid” on behalf of the Texas-New Mexico Power Company (TNMP).
As part of a federal energy program to modernize how homes and businesses across the U.S. can use energy more efficiently, more than 27 million smart meters have already been installed throughout the country.
TNMP plans to install 240,000 smart meters throughout its Texas service area over the next 4 years. The utility’s five-year phased rollout of smart meters began along the Gulf Coast in 2011 and is transitioning to North Texas in 2014, Central Texas in 2015, and will conclude in West Texas in 2016.
“The safe and cost-effective deployment of smart meters is an integral part of Texas’ plan to modernize its electric grid. We selected UPA to carry out our installations because of its safety record and the quality of its technician training programs,” said Bobby Roberts, TNMP smart meter project manager.
UPA works closely with utilities to establish formal meter installation procedures, with every meter technician receiving extensive training prior to performing meter installations. The training includes safety procedures that help the technician identify unsafe conditions that may have been evident in existing equipment as well as the actions to take following such a discovery.
“Ensuring our technicians are well-trained and that every smart meter is safely installed is paramount whenever we partner with a utility,” said Lee Schwartz, CEO of Utility Partners of America.
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