On Oct. 27, 2009, CenterPoint Energy announced that it has been notified by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that it has been granted a $200 million award for its advanced metering system and intelligent grid projects. This award is contingent on successful negotiation with the DOE.

“We are very pleased that the DOE has agreed to help fund the deployment of our advanced metering system and the development of the intelligent grid,” said Tom Standish, group president of Regulated Operations for CenterPoint Energy. “These funds will reduce the amount that Houston-area electric consumers will have to pay for this significant upgrade to our electric grid.”

CenterPoint Energy will use $150 million of the grant to accelerate its current smart meter and associated equipment installation that make up its Advanced Metering System (AMS). The remaining $50 million will be used to accelerate the installation of the first phase of CenterPoint Energy’s Intelligent Grid that utilizes the AMS and other technologies to build a self-healing grid, and improve operational efficiency and reliability.

CenterPoint Energy’s smart meter deployment began in March 2009, and the company reached a significant milestone earlier this month with the installation and integration of 100,000 fully functional smart meters. By the end of the year, 145,000 smart meters will be installed along with the necessary communications infrastructure and computing systems. More than 2 million smart meters are expected to be installed system-wide by the project’s completion in 2012 with the aid of the federal grant money.

Visit CenterPointEnergy.com/EnergyInSight for the latest information on the company’s current smart meter program.