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Woodruff Electric Cooperative

Woodruff Electric Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project

Abstract

Woodruff Electric Cooperative’s (Woodruff’s) advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) project deployed 14,900 two-way communicating smart meters to all of its residential customers and select commercial customers. The communications infrastructure includes a meter communications network using power line carrier (PLC) technology between the meters and substations and an Internet protocol-based fiber backhaul between the substations and the AMI head-end system. Woodruff has enabled remote connect/disconnect and tamper detection functionality through the AMI system. The project’s primary purpose was to reduce operating costs to forestall rate increases. By deploying AMI technology to gain operational efficiencies Woodruff could eliminate field trips for routine distribution system service work and start/stop service requests. The utility also expected to gain improvements in system reliability through improved data acquisition and analytics.

Contact Information

Billy C. Martin, III
President/CEO
Woodruff Electric Cooperative Corporation
bmartin@woodruffelectric.com

At-A-Glance
Recipient: Woodruff Electric Cooperative
HQ State: Arkansas
NERC Region: SERC
Total Budget: $5,016,000
Federal Share: $2,357,520
 
Funding Program:
Project Type:
 
Equipment:
Targeted Benefits:
  • Reduced Meter Reading Costs
  • Reduced Operating and Maintenance Costs
  • Reduced Costs from Theft
  • Improved Electric Service Reliability and Power Quality
  • Reduced Truck Fleet Fuel Usage
  • Reduced Greenhouse Gas and Criteria Pollutant Emissions
 

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