Porto Alegre, Brazil --- (METERING.COM) --- January 18, 2013 - Rio Grande Energia (RGE) in December completed the installation of 116remotely operated reclosers in the northeast of Rio Grande do Sul state at a cost of R$7 million (US$3.4 million).

The new devices, which serve the cities of Caxiasdo Sul, Floresda Cunha, São Marcos and Nove Pádua,will allow remote network operation from RGE’s distribution operations center. The aim is to speed up the restoration of power following outages due to bad weather or other causes.

In a statement RGE, which supplies the north and northeast of Rio Grande do Sul state, said it will be investing over R$810 million (US$397 million) in expansion and improvements to its  transmission and distribution networks by 2014. In addition the company plans to modernize its IT systems.