Texas Co-op PenTex Energy Upgrades AMI System Amid Rapid Load Growth

PenTex Energy is moving ahead with a major upgrade to its metering and grid data systems as Texas faces historic load growth and heightened reliability pressures.

The Northern Texas cooperative has selected the TRUConnect Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) platform from Tantalus Systems, along with TRUSense Gateways and TRUGrid Reliability Analytics, to replace its legacy AMI system. Together, the tools form part of the Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform, which provides more granular field data and operational visibility.

The co-op said the new system is intended to improve outage diagnostics, restoration planning, and power quality monitoring while allowing tighter integration with its existing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.

Texas utilities have been accelerating investments in distribution-level monitoring and automation following record electricity demand. ERCOT, the state’s primary grid operator, reached a peak of 85,559 MW in August 2024 and projects a 72% increase in peak load by 2030.

“With more detailed metering and power quality data, our teams can more quickly diagnose issues and improve member service,” said Ryan Fuhrmann, PenTex Energy’s director of finance and office operations. He added that the system is expected to reduce manual processes and provide better situational awareness during storms.

PenTex plans to use cellular gateways to collect near real-time data from field devices and feed analytics software aimed at identifying emerging equipment failures and voltage irregularities before they affect customers. The utility said it intends to shift from reactive troubleshooting to a more proactive operational model as deployment progresses.

The co-op did not provide a cost estimate or a completion timeline for the upgrade but noted that integration work is underway to ensure continuity across its existing control systems.