Automated Meter Reading Coming Soon?

Automated Meter Reading -- AMR for short -- looks like it's generating a "blizzard" of interest among utilities, so much so that the companies providing AMR solutions now perform triage on the incoming RFPs, only responding to the juiciest proposals, according to a recent UtiliPoint IssueAlert. Ontario (Canada?) will lead the way, converting all 4.3 million customers to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) next year. PG&E and Southern California Edison have both spooked AMI suppliers in the short term, but both are considered candidates to move forward with the technology in medium term.

One implication of this technology is that peak hour usage rates will soon become a reality "on the ground", something I've mentioned previously, as has Knowledge Problem.