Florida Power & Light Co. Showcase Success of Grid Modernization Initiative

May 8, 2013
Silver Spring Networks, Inc. last month joined representatives of Florida Power & Light Co., General Electric, and the U.S. Department of Energy in a ceremony to celebrate the success of FPL’s pioneering ‘Energy Smart Florida’ initiative and to demonstrate the benefits of advanced smart grid networks at FPL’s Performance and Diagnostic Center.

Last month, Silver Spring Networks, Inc. joined representatives of Florida Power & Light Co., General Electric, and the U.S. Department of Energy in a ceremony to celebrate the success of FPL’s pioneering "Energy Smart Florida" initiative and to demonstrate the benefits of advanced smart grid networks at FPL’s Performance and Diagnostic Center. FPL was one of the first utilities to take a “network first” approach to grid modernization and proactively make the infrastructure investments that today enable greater energy efficiency and improved service reliability, while giving customers more control over the energy they use. In the initial phase of the multi-year Energy Smart Florida initiative, FPL and Silver Spring successfully connected more than 4.5 million FPL customers to the first smart grid network of its kind, helping them reap the benefits of this infrastructure modernization investment.

“FPL and Silver Spring began this journey with the common vision that a single, cornerstone network platform would enable a multitude of smart energy services for our customers – and we are thrilled to have completed this initial phase of the program ahead of schedule and in record time,” said Bryan Olnick, FPL’s vice president of Customer Service Smart Grid Solutions. “An open, standards-based networking platform was essential to the success of the ‘Energy Smart Florida’ program. But this is only the beginning; we now have a foundation for a wide array of future smart grid services delivering increased value to our customers.”

Silver Spring’s standards-based networking platform unlocks more value by enabling multiple smart grid applications to be deployed atop a single network. In addition to advanced energy metering, FPL is also leveraging Silver Spring’s smart grid networking platform for Distribution Automation and advanced Smart Grid Analytics solutions. New devices and sensors deployed on the smart grid, and data-driven operational insights gained from innovative analytics, expand the functionality and performance of FPL’s distribution system, increasing reliability and reducing operations and maintenance costs. These investments are helping FPL be much more proactive in managing its power systems and continue improving the value FPL delivers to customers.

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