AES Ohio, a unit of The AES Corporation, announced a new milestone in its comprehensive settlement agreement that enables the deployment of smart grid technology for customers in the Miami Valley. The Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently issued an order approving AES Ohio's as filed, nearly unanimous stipulation.
The order, which resolves a number of matters, allows AES Ohio to move forward with its plans to invest $249 million in capital projects over the next four years providing direct customer benefits through a modern, robust, efficient electric grid. This is the initial step in AES Ohio's digital transformation designed to enhance reliability and allow our customers to experience personalized, innovative and seamless energy services.
The order approves implementing Phase 1 of the AES Ohio Smart Grid Plan with a commitment to file Phase 2 within three years. AES Ohio now has resolution in other associated matters and a clear path to begin executing the company's plans to modernize its electric grid, providing all customers with benefits such as fewer outages and enhanced communication.
"This is an important moment for our AES Ohio people and the customers we serve, as the order allows us to move forward in our digital transformation to bring all customers innovative grid technologies," said AES Ohio president and CEO Kristina Lund. "We appreciated the opportunity to work with all interested parties to reach balanced and fair settlement agreement to continue our progress toward creating a smarter energy future for our customers."
With the approved stipulation, AES Ohio customers will benefit from new technology and equipment and will begin:
- Upgrading to an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) or "Smart Meters", to improve overall customer experience through better system reliability, performance and communication.
- Installation of technology to allow "self-healing" of portions of the grid which isolates problems and automatically re-route power without service interruption to our customers.
- Implementation of rebate programs for electric vehicle supply equipment and smart thermostats.
- In addition, AES Ohio will prioritize installing equipment in the west and northwest areas of the city of Dayton which were the hardest hit locations by the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes.
