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Smart Grid Rollout in Texas... Advanced Metering in Oregon... FERC Grid Incentives By SGN Staff Jan 11, 2006 - 3:10:00 PM
TXU launches major Smart Grid rollout. Current Communications, a leading broadband over powerline (BPL) company, will design build and operate a BPL network for Dallas-based TXU Electric Delivery, eventually passing 2M homes and businesses. TXU will pay $150M over 10 years for access to the network and to use Current’s suite of Smart Grid applications, including outage management, distribution automation and advanced metering. TXU also receives an equity stake in Current, which will have the right to offer broadband Internet service to TXU customers. Deployment begins this year. QuickTake: We’ve been saying for a while that BPL must cost-justify itself as grid infrastructure if it hopes to become mainstream in the U.S. This large-scale deployment is an important milestone. Current Communications press release
PGE to issue RFP for 840,000 advanced meters. Portland General Electric has announced its intent to issue an RFP for a two-way, fixed-network advanced metering system that will ultimately cover the Oregon utility’s 840,000 residential and commercial meters. Energy Central article (requires free registration) Email PGE’s purchasing department
FERC proposes incentives for grid investment. In response to mandates in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is set to propose incentives to spur spending on all aspects of the electric grid. Possibilities include higher rates of return, accelerated depreciation, and more.
TI buys Zigbee chipmaker. Texas Instruments will pay $200M for Chipcon, a leader in the Zigbee space. (Zigbee is an IEEE-sanctioned standard for low-power wireless mesh networks). Chipcon, which employs about 120 people, will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of TI and will continue to operate from its headquarters in Oslo, Norway. You’ll be hearing more and more about the Zigbee standard (just read this issue’s TK feature article for an example). QuickTake: TI has the manufacturing experience to produce Zigbee chips in volume at low cost. This acquisition only reinforces our conviction that Zigbee will go mainstream this year and next. Texas Instruments press release
General Cable completes Silec acquisition. General Cable, a Kentucky-based supplier of wire and cable for the energy, telecomm and industrial markets, has completed its purchase of the Silec cable business from parent company SAFRAN. GC paid $81M for Silec, which has 1,000 employees and sales of approximately $255M in 2004, is a leading producer of various advanced cables, high-voltage underground links, and other Smart Grid components. QuickTake: The global market for cables is $8B and growing. This latest in a series of acquisitions further positions General Cable at the forefront of that growth and of the gradual changeover to more advanced materials. Subscribe to our FREE eMail News Alert!
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