New Hampshire Electric Cooperative contracts with Green Mountain Communications for Smart Grid communications system deployment

PLYMOUTH — New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) has contracted with Green Mountain Communications (GMC) of Pembroke to furnish and deploy the microwave communications infrastructure that will support the cooperative’s Smart Grid project.

GMC is presently working on the detailed design for the network of microwave antennae, radios, and appurtenances to be deployed at 25 tower sites that will help enable two-way communications with all 83,000 NHEC electric meters across New Hampshire. Over the next two years, NHEC will be installing meters that are capable of reporting readings and receiving pricing and usage signals. This will allow for improved outage notification and new programs that offer NHEC members the opportunity to better understand and manage their energy use. The company expects to begin meter installations this summer.

GMC delivers premier technology and wireless solutions to clients across sectors. According to the specifications of the multi-million dollar contract with NHEC, GMC will be responsible for purchasing, installing, and testing a microwave backbone system that connects NHEC members from as far south as Derry to Pittsburg on the northern border with Canada. The majority of this equipment will be installed at existing tower-site locations.

The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) being installed by NHEC over the next three years will create a “mesh network,” whereby electric meters communicate with one another via radio frequency, gathering usage data and sending it to NHEC headquarters in Plymouth via microwave transmission and fiber optic cable from the 25 locations across the Granite State. The entire project is being funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

“We are eager to get moving on this project,” said Victor Drouin, president of GMC. “We believe that this contract is an ideal fit for our firm, and look forward to establishing a long-term, trusted relationship with NHEC. Through collaboration and open communication among all parties, I am confident that this project will be a success.”

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Green Mountain Communications,” remarked Fred Anderson, president/CEO of NHEC. “They have an excellent reputation as a technology and microwave systems provider, and we are confident that they will design and execute a technology plan that meets and exceeds our expectations.”

Founded in 1939, NHEC is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving 80,000 members in 115 New Hampshire communities. More information about NHEC’s Smart Grid project is online at www.nhec.coop/AMI.