[img:MI%20ex_0.JPG| ]New York, NY, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 20, 2011 - American multinational telecommunications giant AT&T is supporting the Metering International Excellence Awards for North America for 2012 – marking the third year in succession the company has put its name behind these awards.

The Metering International Excellence Awards for 2012 will recognize and encourage excellence in North America’s utility sector and they will be presented at Metering, Billing/MDM America in San Diego on March 13, 2012.

[img:RSE.thumbnail.jpg| ]Brussels, Belgium --- (METERING.COM) --- December 20, 2011 - The GRID+ program was launched recently in Europe to provide high level support to the Electricity Grid Initiative (EEGI) over the first three year phase to 2014.

The €3.94 million project brings together a team of top level players, including research centers, SMEs and universities, which will work in close coordination on the EEGI with the transmission and distribution operator associations ENTSO-e (European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity) and EDSO for SG (European Distribution Systems Operators for Smart Grids).

[img:reportP_0.JPG| ]Golden, CO and Washington, DC, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 20, 2011 - It is technically possible to integrate up to 35 percent renewable electricity to the U.S. grid if infrastructure and operational improvements can be made, and the experiences of operators are pointing the way to doing this, two recent reports show.

Two studies from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) investigated the potential in the eastern and western transmission systems. The first, the “Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study” (EWITS), explored the impact of shifting up to 20 percent–30 percent of the power in the Eastern Interconnect of the U.S. to wind energy by 2024. No fundamental technical barriers were found to the integration of 20 percent wind energy into the electrical system, although transmission planning, system operation policy, and market develop¬ment would need to continue to evolve for this penetration level to be achieved.

[img:handshake.thumbnail.jpg| ]Liberty Lake, WA, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 20, 2011 - Itron and Panasonic have announced a partnership agreement to design and deliver innovative gas smart metering solutions to utilities in Europe.

Through the partnership, Itron will leverage Panasonic's ultrasonic sensor technology to enhance its new residential static meters. It will provide utilities planning for large scale smart meter deployments in Europe with a solution that offers a highly accurate and reliable communicating metering solution.

[img:Mark%20England_0.jpg|Mark England,
CEO, Sentec]Cambridge, U.K. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 20, 2011 - Sentec and smart meter solution provider EDMI have entered into a partnership to jointly develop a smart gas meter, based on Sentec’s gas meter technology, Lattice.

The collaboration will develop smart gas meters for markets in Europe, Australasia and Asia, where a number of territories are already planning for large scale gas meter deployments.  The mass phase of the U.K. smart gas meter roll out is scheduled to begin in 2014.  

[img:ArunB_0.JPG| ]Interview with Arunabha Basu, Head – Technology & Systems, North Delhi Power Limited, India

What role does the smart grid play in India’s future energy landscape?

Smart grid technologies offer a unique opportunity to the ailing Indian electricity distribution companies to leapfrog and adopt the right path of business processes and technologies in a phased manner.

[img:EC%20Energy_0.JPG| ]Brussels, Belgium --- (METERING.COM) --- December 19, 2011 - A minimum common set of functionalities for smart metering has been put forward by the European Commission with the aim of enabling member states to identify common means of achieving cost efficiencies (and inefficiencies) in their rollout plans.

The functionality set, developed jointly by the European Commission’s directorates of Energy and Information Society and Media, comprises 10 functionalities. These were determined based on comments from member states in response to an initial list of 13 functionalities based on the ERGEG Guidelines of Good Practice on Regulatory Aspects of Smart Metering for Electricity and Gas.

[img:scer_0.jpg| ]Canberra, Australia --- (METERING.COM) --- December 19, 2011 - Australia’s Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER) has launched a consultation on national consumer protection arrangements to facilitate consistency across the jurisdictions where smart meters are rolled out.
 
The consultation, National Smart Meter Consumer Protections and Pricing, which is part of an ongoing series, considers three key issues:

[img:ofgem-logo.thumbnail_0.gif| ]London, U.K. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 19, 2011 - A new Smart Energy Code setting out the arrangements for the introduction and ongoing operation of smart metering and consolidating the existing industry codes dealing with retail issues in gas and electricity has been proposed by Britain’s regulator, Ofgem, to facilitate market development and reduce administrative burdens.

[img:water_drop_0.jpg| ]São Paulo, Brazil and Luton, England --- (METERING.COM) --- December 16, 2011 - Brazil’s second largest water utility Companhia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais (COPASA) has selected Elster to supply more than 111,000 S120 single jet water meters over the next 12 months.

This follows COPASA's selection of Elster in June 2011 to supply 63,000 glass and plastic register cover S120 single jet water meters to support its metering programs.

[img:handshake.thumbnail.jpg| ]Novazzano, Switzerland and London, U.K. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 16, 2011 - A Memorandum of Understanding has been concluded between Paradox Engineering and NEC Italia Spa to explore joint development of world class smart energy solutions for utilities, multi-utilities and municipalities in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The two companies will share their knowledge in order to optimize their engineering efforts and identify opportunities for proof-of-concept and pilot projects, which will allow a smarter management of energy resources, and therefore increase sustainable performance of communities and cities.

[img:Vics_0.jpg| ]Melbourne, Australia --- (METERING.COM) --- December 15, 2011 - Victoria’s smart meter rollout is to continue, but with major changes to ensure consumers receive the benefits, the state government has decided following an extensive review of the program.

Key findings of the review are that at this stage of the program's life, the maximum benefit would be delivered by continuing the rollout. Consumers can benefit from an orderly introduction of flexible pricing, including the continuation of flat rates, but greater customer engagement is required to better explain smart meters and their operation. In addition, the smart meters are safe and fall well within the requirements for electromagnetic and radiofrequency emissions.

[img:dean_keeling.thumbnail.jpg|Dean Keeling,
MD, British Gas
Smart Homes]Stockley Park, U.K. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 15, 2011 - British Gas has been named by Toyota as its preferred supplier of electric vehicle charge points in Britain, the company has announced.

British Gas will be offering Toyota customers a range of products and services for safe, convenient and efficient vehicle recharging, according to a Toyota blog. These will include a full free-of-charge site survey, advice on the best way to equip a home for electric vehicle charging and a number of insurance options.

[img:CFE_0.png| ]Mexico City and Boulder, CO, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 15, 2011 - Mexico’s state power utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) has selected FreeWave Technologies’ radio solutions for wireless data radio applications such as power consumption and substation monitoring, as well as control and monitoring of power networks.

CFE is currently is using FreeWave's FGR2-PE, FGR115-RC and HTPlus wireless data radios in nine of the 16 divisions throughout Mexico.

[img:DigitalGridLogo3_0.jpg| ]Tokyo, Japan --- (METERING.COM) --- December 14, 2011 - The recently established Digital Grid Consortium (dGrid) in Japan kicks off its technical development and standardization efforts with the establishment of a research center in Bunkyo, Tokyo.

The Consortium, a not-for-profit Japanese corporation launched in September, is partnering with  ORIX Corporation, NEC Corporation and National Instruments Japan to establish common interfaces and viable business models in preparation for joint development programs that will begin at the start of the 2012 fiscal year.