Benton REA Partners with Landis+Gyr for Innovative Grid Edge Solutions

In an impactful step towards smarter energy management, Benton Rural Electric Association (Benton REA) has announced its partnership with Landis+Gyr to deploy cutting-edge grid-edge technology. This collaboration is set to enhance the utility's ability to manage their grid effectively as they serve approximately 17,000 member accounts across southeastern Washington.

A New Era of Energy Management

Landis+Gyr, a renowned leader in energy technology, will provide Benton REA with its next-generation Revelo® platform integrated with a hybrid Gridstream® Connect network. These advancements are designed to improve reliability, allow for demand flexibility, and offer real-time visibility into the grid operations.

Aaron Welling, Lead Project Manager at Benton REA, emphasizes the importance of this upgrade. He stated, "Our primary goal is ensuring we can maintain reliability, manage costs and provide flexible demand management options for our members." This technology will aid the utility in load disaggregation, smart switching, and power quality applications, enhancing system planning and maintenance efforts.

Addressing Modern Demands

The evolving landscape of electricity demand, particularly with the emergence of electric vehicle (EV) charging and agricultural irrigation needs, necessitates effective monitoring and management of energy loads. By utilizing high-resolution data analytics, Benton REA aims to proactively respond to shifts in electricity demand, thereby minimizing potential grid constraints and optimizing power delivery.

Landis+Gyr's hybrid network technology is particularly beneficial for rural areas, ensuring connectivity even in rugged terrains through an omni-carrier cellular endpoint, and thereby maximizing communication reliability across the board.

Mark Ortega, Director of Distribution Sales at Landis+Gyr, acknowledges the complex challenges faced by rural utilities. He remarks, "Rural utilities are being asked to manage increasingly complex demands on the grid while maintaining the reliability and affordability their members depend on." This partnership is a crucial step in addressing these challenges effectively.

Enhanced Visibility and Decision-Making

The Revelo platform merges advanced metering with grid sensing capabilities, greatly improving utility visibility into energy consumption and load behavior. By analyzing both sides of the service connection, Revelo helps utilities pinpoint not only demands but also anomalies within the grid. This facilitates better management of rising demands from new loads, such as EV chargers and heat pumps, while improving system reliability.

Notably, Revelo also supports various flexible communication options, including RF Mesh IP and private LTE networks, making it adaptable to the diverse needs of Benton REA.

About Benton REA

Benton REA is a member-owned electric cooperative headquartered in West Richland, Washington, and caters to over 16,900 active meters spanning across Benton, Yakima, and Lewis counties. With a commitment to delivering affordable and reliable electricity, Benton REA sources 100% of its wholesale power from Bonneville Power Administration, with a significant portion derived from carbon-free resources such as hydropower. For nearly nine decades, the cooperative has been dedicated to maintaining high-quality service for its members while investing in the future sustainability of their energy systems.

About Landis+Gyr

As a global leader in energy technology, Landis+Gyr strives to propel the energy sector forward through innovative solutions that interconnect devices, data, and decisions across the grid. With a goal to transform traditional energy infrastructure into intelligent, networked systems, they enable utilities worldwide to optimize operations and provide safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions. For more information, visit their website at www.landisgyr.com.

This exciting partnership marks a significant leap forward in how Benton REA will manage energy demands in the future, reinforcing the utility's commitment to innovation and excellence in service delivery.