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WORKSHOP ITEM #11Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project April 3, 2018
Review of the Electric Meter Project AMR system is 20 years old and is at the end of its useful life•The conversion to AMR meters was completed in 1998•informationusage to obtain monthly
energy AMR meters District personnel must drive by •in RF communications module-builtdata using the transmit energy consumption continuously AMR meters •All AMR meters contain a Radio
Frequency (RF) communications module•metersMeter Reading (AMR) meters with Automatic read electric -began a project to replace manualDistrict In 1996, the •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review
of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project was made to pursue other AMI alternativesand a recommendation District needs This system was not suitable to •Completed tests in 2016•2015in meter
project a pilot AMI The District started •AMI is a mature technology with many benefits compared to AMR•and UAMPSLeveraged experience of other agencies such as NCPA, CMUA •Advanced
Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systemsoptions using AMR replacement studying began actively In 2014, staff •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project Installation ongoing, completion scheduled for the end of 2019•Approximately 7,600 AMI meters have been installed to date•AMI meter installations
began in April, 2018•Approximately 13,700 meters and 32 data collectors •metersusing the Tantalus system and Itron meters wide deployment of electric AMI -and General Pacific for a
DistrictTantalus with approved agreements , 2017 the Board On November 15•300 meters and 1 data collector•systemTantalus Systems (Tantalus) for an AMI On April 5, 2017 the Board approved
a Phase 1 agreement with •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric Meter Project
BACKGROUND / HISTORY 2019AMI Meter Installations, 100% CompleteFebruary, 2019AMI Meter Installations, 50% CompleteMarch 7, 2018Electric Meter Replacement Project policy changesNovember
15, 2017Proposed Phase 2 AMI Project using Tantalus SystemsNovember 1, 2017Review of Phase 1 AMI Project–Workshop April 5, 2017Proposed Phase 1 AMI Project using Tantalus Systems2015
to 2016AclaraPilot AMI Project using July 15, 2015Electric AMI Meter Replacement Project–Workshop Circa 1998AMR Meter deployment completeDateMilestones and Board Presentations rojectPeplacement
Reter MElectric the Summary timeline for •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project These benefits include the following items•Reduce costs and increase efficiencies in District operations•Indirect and direct components•significantare
very District and our customers to the system benefits of AMI The ••AMR systemwith available not Functions were •important functions that were not previously possibleand our customers
with many District provides the system The AMI •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project compared to AMR metersAMI meters represent a significant reduction in RF transmission •AMI meters transmit 7.1% of the time, at a maximum•transmit
continuouslynotAMI meters do •AMR meters transmit continuously or 100% of the time•RF communications modulea All AMR meters contain •AMI and AMR meters operate at 900MHz as approved
by the FCC•AMI meters reduce RF emissions by over 90% compared to AMR meters•ransmission with AMI metersin Radio Frequency (RF) tReduction •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric
Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project Environment benefits•issuestraffic, expense and potential safety Avoids •demand by staff-can be obtained remotely and onusage data Energy •Meter
readings are required as customers move in and out•Large number of leased dwellings for seasonal use•eadsrdemand -On•Environment benefits•Avoids traffic, expense and potential safety
issues•Sending personnel out in vehicles is no longer required•AMI meters automatically send energy usage data to the District•eadingrRemote meter •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the
Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project optionto offer a prepay District of AMI meters allows the disconnect and reconnect capabilities Remote •offs-Prepay can reduce delinquencies, deposit
requirements, and shut•energy usecustomers may prefer to pay as they go, or prepay Some •itcustomers are billed and pay for energy after they use Most •Prepayment Program•Environment
benefits•Avoids traffic, expense and potential safety issues•meterdue accounts and send crew a second time to reconnect the -the need to send a service crew to remove meters for pastAlleviates
•switchcontrolled disconnect/reconnect contain a remotely meters AMI •Remote disconnect and reconnect•BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project useenergy customers better manage and reduce Helps •changes, and the impact of useon energy customers timely feedback to rovides P•datahave access
to historical usage Customers •usage dataenergy 15 minute or meters automatically send hourly AMI •anagementmnergy eCustomer •diversioncan help identify energy meters (unlike AMR),
along with planned software enhancements, AMI •per monthonly once this feature, but notification is have meters AMR •upside down, or otherwise manipulatedautomatically notify the District
if they are removed, installed meters AMI •etectiondiversion denergy and Tamper •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project communicationscustomer End result is shorter outages, more efficient operations, and better •processaccelerates the restoration Greatly reduces crew
time and travel, often in adverse conditions, and •with the Outage Management Systemspecifically in combination elps H•lostsend an outage notification when power is automatically meters
AMI •the outagereport a small percentage of customers impacted Usually •District historically learns of outages through customer callsThe •otificationnOutage •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review
of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project Key component for customer engagement•accuratelyand can be resolved quickly concerns bill complaints or other customer High •questionsenergy usage
is available to address customer Detailed •nhancementseervice Customer s•power upon requestmeter has remotely determine if a can Staff •lostinternet or telephone connection is an outage
when an who remotely monitor homes may report Customers •breaker tripped)circuit (e.g. main outages are the customer’s responsibility Some •utageoremise pSingle •BACKGROUND / HISTORY
Review of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project service panelsstaff to proactively work with customers to replace or upgrade Enables •Notify •anagementAsset m•Capability can be turned on remotely
as required by staff•userooftop solar, battery storage or other net metering to accommodate AMI meters have the capability type -All residential•meter changeAMR meter is necessary requiring
a Special •2 directionsmeters do not have the capability to meter energy flow in AMR •ntegrationiolar sCustomer •BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric Meter Project
Review of the Electric Meter Project customers save energy which protects the environmentHelps •travelgreatly reduced vehicle from GHG emissions staff efficiency, and helps to reduce
Increases •investigationsoutage many vehicle trips to read meters for billing, final reads, and Avoids •goalsDistrict are key GHG) emissions energy use and Greenhouse Gas (Reducing
•Environmental protection•an outageand results in it fails replace a transformer before Proactively •overloadingwith the ability to monitor transformers for meters, along with planned
software enhancements, provide staff AMI •)ontcAsset management (•BACKGROUND / HISTORY Review of the Electric Meter Project
BACKGROUND / HISTORY YesNoEnergy diversion detectionYesYesTamper detectionYesNoPrepayment ProgramYesNoRemote disconnect and reconnectYesNodemand reads-OnYesNoRemote meter reading7.1%100%RF
transmission time (% On)YesNoReduction in RF transmissionAMIAMRBenefit of AMI compared to AMR metersBenefits •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
BACKGROUND / HISTORY YesNoGHG reductionYesNoAsset managementYesNoCustomer service enhancementsYesNoCustomer solar integrationYesNoSingle premise outageYesNoOutage notificationYesNoCustomer
energy managementAMIAMRBenefit)ontcmeters (of AMI compared to AMR Benefits •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION 1998meters in read -remoteBy contrast, the District completed the change to •read meter (with an RF module)-remotea (no RF communications module) directly to read meters
-manualfrom replacement program consisted of changing directly PG&E’s meter •2013began in 2006 and was completed in project AMI •CPUC)(Commission oversight of the California Public
Utilities owned, for profit electric utility subject to the -is an investorPG&E •, US EIA)Electric Power Annual 2017 of households (52% AMI meters surpassed 2017, nationwide deployment
of In •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION Monthly charge terminates after 36 months•out option: initial fee of $75, and a monthly charge of $10-Opt•014)-02-(Decision 12out program for PG&E and their customers
-prescribed an optOn February 1, 2012, the CPUC greatly modified PG&E's proposal and •Proposed an exit fee of $130 to return to an AMI meter•charge of $14 (ongoing)out would have an
initial fee of $270, and a monthly -Proposed opt•out program-to propose an opt-03-On March 24, 2011 PG&E filed Application A.11•Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric
Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION shift between customer classes-create a costhe District, as a public agency, to tIt is contrary to California law for •3)(from Summary, page .” customer class as a wholeout
charges are to be allocated to the residential -collected from the optremaining portion of revenue requirements that exceed the revenues out. The -customers to three years from the
date they choose to optout -limit the collection of the monthly charge from residential opt“We •customersout -out costs to non opt-shift for opt-creates a costclearly CPUC •078)-12-14provisions
(Decision out -PG&E opt18, 2014, the CPUC issued another decision regarding December On •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION serviceout -Many also expressed support for paying for the electric meter opt•emissionscited medical concerns related to RF out option -majority who articulated reasons
for requesting an opthe T•out option -make public comment requesting an optcustomers have come forward at recent Board meetings to Some •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of
the Electric Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION optionout -optTherefore staff recommends that the District continue without an •customersmajority of its However, the District must continue to serve the overall interest
of the •itpay for and option out -optto have an customers respects the desire of Staff •benefitsreduce or eliminate qualified basis, would significantly -out on a non-customers to optpartial
rollout of the AMI meters, or allowing a large numbers of A •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION communications modulein RF -No built•meterstyle -proposes the use of a standard electronicStaff •exposureMedical necessity requiring avoidance of RF •physicianwritten
on the customer’s behalf from a licensed etter L•requireout option would -medical optA •onlylimited and restricted to a medical option -Qualified •qualified-vs. nonQualified •basisout
option, staff recommends that it be on a qualified -of opt, if the Board makes a finding to proceed with some form Alternatively•Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric
Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION shift between customer classes-create a costConsistent with previous Board policy, District programs should not •80range from $40 to $will (without an RF module) a special
meter manually read estimates that the monthly cost to Staff •labor to enter information into the billing systemStaff •labor to read meters and vehicle usage chargesStaff •programfront
costs to develop and administer the -Up•itemsprogram costs would include the following out -Opt•Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION detailsthe program months to analyze programs costs and develop Need approximately 2 •estimatesout program, staff -optonly -the Board elects to proceed with offering
a qualified medicalIf •customersservices to acquainted with District operations and the costs to provide -is wellHDR •departmentsElectric has performed several cost of service studies
for the Water and HDR •costsout -(HDR) to further analyze all optproposes to leverage the recent work done by HDR Consultants taff S•Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the
Electric Meter Project
NEW INFORMATION October 4, 2019Ordinance effective, if approved by the BoardOut Program via Ordinance-Possible approval of an OptConduct a Public Hearing; andJuly 17, 2019Consideration
of scheduling a Public HearingJune 5, 2019Out Program-proposed OptReview –Workshop April & MayPerform cost analysis and draft proposed Code changesApril 3, 2019out program (tonight)-Review
possibility of an opt–Workshop DateMilestones out program-Timeline for a possible opt•Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
FISCAL IMPACT Districtneutral to the program would be cost -If participating customers pay the full cost of an opt•fee to cover District setup costsinitial Plus an •80cost ranges from
$40 to $Monthly •followsprogram is as out -optan (without an RF module) for cost, per customer, to manually read The estimated •Fundfrom the Electric Capital Reserve Funded •PlanFinancial
Master through the project The District has planned for the electric meter •Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project
RECOMMENDATION Provide input and direction to staff•Review of the Electric Meter ProjectReview of the Electric Meter Project