PG&E to deploy up to 3.3m GE meters equipped with SmartMeter technology

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has shared its plans of deploying 3.3 million GE meters equipped with SmartMeter technology to utility customers in Northern and Central California.

Overall, PG&E plans to deploy 10.3 million SmartMeter gas and electric meters by the end of 2011 to virtually all of its customers.

The GE meters will be equipped with Silver Spring Networks smart grid/advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communications technology.

According to GE energy, this technology will enable two-way communications between the utility and the electricity customer. It will support renewable generation at the customer's home, critical peak and time-of-use pricing and more. The company also shared that by employing SmartMeter technology, PG&E will, in the future, be better able to detect and respond to power outages.

According to EPRI, California experiences the greatest losses associated with power outages and disruptions, totaling $13.2-20.4 billion per year. That's more than any other state.