NB Power is ready to run for a second time to get permission to install smart meters with 300,000 customers, the plan has failed once in the energy and utilities commission, sparking controversy again.
"It's not surprising to the board that NB Power has indicated that it intends to apply further for the approval of AMI-
Speaking to the European Commission earlier this week, NB Power lawyer John Furey said: "late summer, early autumn is a difficult time frame . ".
AMI representing advanced metering infrastructure is a collection of physical and digital upgrades to the grid, including the installation of smart meters, which will allow NB Power to collect personal consumption data from customers in real time, instead of 1 m reader once a month.
The company said it would allow various pricing and service innovations that the current grid is unable to provide, such as offering different electricity prices at different times of the day to match periods of low demand and high demand.
The estimated conversion cost is over $100 million, and this amount is subject to the approval of the European Commission before NB Power continues.
Although it has not yet applied-
Or explain why the European Commission would agree to the program it rejected less than a year ago --
NB Power has said it plans to make a positive decision on smart meters in the EU by next January.
EUB rejected the power Request for NB to deploy smart meters across the province
Based on the expected approval, the company requested permission to spend $1 at this year's interest rate hearing.
1 million preparation of the plan.
Heather Black, the New Brunswick Public intervener, discovered this and asked the European Commission to reject $1. 1-
When NB Power sets annual rates next month, millions of smart meter requests.
"There is still no guarantee of approval (
Smart meter)
"We will give it by January 2020, let alone if it will," Black said . ".
On last July, the European Commission rejected the first attempt to fatally recognize nb Power to win approval for its smart meter program.
It ruled that utilities did not offer compelling reasons to justify the huge cost of the project.
"The board of directors is not satisfied with AMI's caution (smart meter)
"Capital Project", please read 39-of the European Commission-page decision.
It is therefore not in the public interest.
The root cause behind this conclusion is that the board found no positive business case identified in the evidence.
"NB Power's initial business case shows that the cost of a smart meter will be more than $1 million in revenue, a mistake in the app that puts it immediately in trouble.
At the hearing on February 2018, NB Power tried to revise its calculations to improve the benefits of adopting the technology, while gatanthomas, president of NB Power, interviewed to urge approval of the technology.
After EUB fired NB Power, NB Power continued to drive the development of smart meters. NB Power launched a PR campaign to restore the smart meter plan, but in its decision the board did not believe in the rescue attempt and said all the evidence supported the fatal recognition of the original app, that is, the cost of using smart meters will be higher than the benefits.
It ruled: "The benefits presented to taxpayers must exceed the expected costs that taxpayers will bear . ".
Some critics also argue that the meter can do harm to health because they communicate wirelessly, but the EU says it has found no evidence that the meter is at risk to the public.
NB Power undertakes to prepare a stronger case for the meter and return to the EU within 18 months, but must apply by August at the latest in order to allow sufficient time for the January decision.
NB Power vice said: "We will not submit documents until we are ready
President Darren Murphy
"If there is any reason why we are delayed in this regard, we will wait until we are ready to submit the file, but of course we would like to see an app available this year.