Woodruff Electric Cooperative of Forrest City has been selected to receive a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to install smart grid metering technology.
The cooperative will use the grant to install two-way smart grid metering infrastructure throughout its service area.
The new system will allow for real-time meter reading, remote connects and disconnects, enhanced outage information and greater knowledge of system conditions. Total project cost is estimated at $5 million.
"Once installed, Woodruff's smart grid metering system will be on the leading edge of metering technology with the ability to communicate with all residential members," CEO Billy Martin said. "Our members will be able to experience enhanced power quality, more efficient outage restoration and savings of man-hours which will help members maintain costs. Additionally, members will eventually experience savings by more efficient usage of electricity and real-time energy pricing."
The cooperative plans to begin the project in January and be completed in April 2010. The project will include approximately 13,169 single-phase accounts.
Woodruff Electric Cooperative has 88 employees and serves residents in Cross, Lee, Monroe, Phillips, Prairie, St. Francis and Woodruff counties. The 19,169-member cooperative is based in Forrest City with district offices in Augusta, Moro and Walnut Corner. The co-op's success in reducing electricity rates by controlling the timing on farm irrigation was the subject of an Arkansas Business report in 2007.
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