St. Louis, MO, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- February 22, 2008 – Six U.S. electric utility cooperatives recently signed agreements to install the Aclara Two-Way Automatic Communications System (TWACS) advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution, one of the Aclara-brand technologies of ESCO Technologies Inc. The new contracts are with Stearns Electric Association, Bandera Electric, Black River Electric, Tri-County Electric, CMS Electric, and Lyntegar Electric.

The TWACS system employs a patented technology to transmit data from electric meters over power lines so utilities can effectively manage customer data and reduce costs while providing superior customer service. The system makes it easy to use existing power lines to reach all customers, even those in remote locations.

“We are pleased that the cooperative market continues to rely on Aclara’s TWACS solutions to meet meter-reading and AMI requirements,” said Jim Andrus, Aclara vice president of sales. “The technology provides a solid metering foundation and delivers valuable data for timely billing, load control, demand response, and outage detection and assessment.”

The Aclara brand represents fixed-network AMI/AMR technologies and MDM software serving water, gas, and electric utilities worldwide. While Aclara is our singular brand and identity, the company retains the known technology brands of DCSI (TWACS©), Hexagram, Inc. (STAR© Network), and Nexus Energy Software (Energy Vision and ENERGYprism). These three companies operate as Aclara Power-Line Systems Inc., Aclara RF Systems Inc., and Aclara Software Inc.