Evergy Inc. and Landis+Gyr Technology Inc., a subsidiary of Landis+Gyr Group AG, have signed a 13-year contract that extends the smart grid services agreement for Evergy's Kansas Central and Kansas Central South utility operations, and includes the addition of advanced meters to update and expand grid management capabilities.
The agreement aligns existing contracts for Evergy utility operating entities until 2034. Under the terms of the agreement, Landis+Gyr will continue to provide hosting of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) operating software, field maintenance, and monitoring of network equipment. Additionally, Evergy will be installing new advanced meters throughout the term of the agreement to update residential and commercial services in select areas of its service territory.
"Smart grid technologies have a growing importance for our grid modernization efforts as we seek to transform our operations to a focus on clean energy. Not only are these initiatives important for increased efficiency, but they are also crucial to maintain a reliable and resilient grid in the future," said Jeff Beasley, vice president of customer operations at Evergy.
Evergy utilities began deploying Landis+Gyr's Gridstream AMI network in 2010 and have since begun a process for updating older meters to meet new data and operational requirements.
"Our long-term relationship with Evergy has always been focused on solving operational challenges with technology and teamwork," said Prasanna Venkatesan, Landis+Gyr's executive vice president of the Americas region. "We're excited about the opportunity to work with Evergy on new ways to leverage its AMI technology to improve customer experience and grid management for the next decade."
Evergy has deployed Gridstream Connect, an IoT device platform built on a smart grid network that connects intelligent devices, such as meters and sensors, across the utility distribution system. By leveraging hardware, software, and application development, Gridstream Connect provides a strong and flexible platform for smart grid and utility IoT applications that support clean, reliable, and affordable energy delivery, while helping manage a future-ready grid.
