WOEC To Begin Pilot Project Installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure
By Scott Laird
At West Oregon Electric Cooperative’s annual meeting in August, General Manager Billi Kohler announced the co-op will begin installing Advanced Metering Infrastructure as part of a pilot project in late 2026.
AMI uses communication software to automatically collect real-time data on electricity use using communication networks and data management software. Smart meters allow 2-way communication between utility providers and customer meters, removing the need for manual meter reading.
Billi and Operations Manager Andy Larson are excited about how this new technology can help the co-op improve communication with members and increase real-time energy use information.
“These new meters will detect the loss of power during outages and send out an alert, allowing WOEC to quickly detect the location and restore power for members,” Andy says. “It will improve outage detection and response for our crews and reduce the need for certain field visits, which will help cut down on travel and overtime.”
Billi says the cooperative will receive detailed information on member electric use for billing purposes. In turn, AMI will provide members with more detailed information about their electricity use.
“This data will also help us identify underused or overused transformers and quickly spot meter tampering and energy theft, reducing costs that would otherwise be passed on to the membership,” she says. “We’ve had our current meters for 26 years, and they’re nearing the end of their useful life. We have to upgrade to advanced metering infrastructure.” WOEC will use technology provided by Landis+Gyr, its current meter vendor. Landis+Gyr provides smart grid and AMI technology to more than 3,500 utilities worldwide.
The benefits of AMI are numerous. It will replace aging AMR/manual infrastructure and add outage detection, voltage monitoring, and better diagnostics, while allowing remote reads and a remote method for members to connect or disconnect. Across the board, AMI will improve outage management, upgrade member service, and increase operational efficiency.
During storms, outages can be spread across multiple areas in WOEC’s large and often remote service territory. If a member experiences an outage, that meter will self-report and immediately report it in the outage management system, Andy says. The repair crews will know the locations of members without service without anyone needing to call in to report the outage.
“We can notify them that they have an outage instead of them notifying us,” Andy says. This is especially helpful for members who may be away from home. Crews can then restore service to everyone in an area before moving elsewhere, reducing or eliminating the need for return trips.
Andy says rolling out AMI as a pilot project this year will give WOEC better information about the new system technology and allow the co-op to evaluate the system’s capabilities on a smaller scale before considering a full deployment. WOEC plans to replace approximately 4,700 meters on its system with AMI meters during the next 3 years.
WOEC’s AMI system will use 2-way communications over a secure cellular wireless network. Crews will initially install about 250 new meters in areas with the least cell coverage to ensure they work. If there are issues, crews can install meters with radio technology instead of cellular in those locations.
During installation, WOEC crews will visually inspect the member’s service and check the voltage. Andy says it will be an “opportunity to give everything an inspection and make sure it all looks good.” The AMI project is part of WOEC’s long-term investment in the system, Billi says.
“The project is included in our Rural Utilities Service-approved Construction Work Plan and will be financed through long-term, low-interest debt, similar to other investments made in poles, wires, substations and other infrastructure,” Billi says. “Rather than requiring the full cost of the project to be paid upfront, financing allows WOEC to spread the cost over the useful life of the equipment. This approach helps ensure members who benefit from the investment over time also share the cost.”
As technology advances, members may be able to use third-party apps that provide a vast array of data and information without having to wait for monthly bills, Andy says. This information could include how many times a refrigerator cycles during the day, how much energy a dryer uses or how much power an air purifier uses during smoky days in the summer.
“But really, the biggest advantage—for me anyway—is that we’re going to be able to communicate better with our members,” Billi says.