Early adopters of Power Line Carrier (PLC) networks had one primary objective when originally launching their system—automating meter reading. Consider it mission accomplished. PLC systems were able to reduce truck rolls, automate billing, and improve operations dramatically.

New DERs are often installed in more remote, decentralized areas of the grid where visibility beyond the substation is strained. Costs to extend hard lines into these far-reaching areas quickly becomes expensive for both utilities and their customers.

North Carolina has a proud history of innovation and advancement dating back to the Wright brothers and their historic first flight near Kitty Hawk in 1903. This culture of innovation also lives in the electric cooperatives that deliver power to North Carolina’s rural communities. Electric cooperative EnergyUnited, for example, continues to find new opportunities for innovation...

Upgrading their advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) with remote reconnect/disconnect meters (RD) that can schedule disconnects and reconnects will provide electric utilities with more granular control over their load management and help reduce financial and operational disruptions for their customers.