Marble Falls, Bertram smart electric meter switch almost done
A PEC employee installs the 400,000th meter in the spring of 2024 at a fire station under construction in Buda, south of Austin. PEC photo
The switch to AMI “smart” electric meters in Marble Falls and Bertram is nearly complete, with Canyon Lake residents next on the meter replacement list, Pedernales Electric Cooperative board members learned at their regular meeting on July 17.
Only four of the seven board directors were on hand for PEC staff’s monthly report. Directors Amy Akers, Emily Pataki, and James Oakley were absent. Director Mike Cox stepped in as chairman in Pataki’s absence.
AMI, or Advanced Metering Infrastructure, meters detect outages sooner and allow for remote functions, such as meter reading and disconnecting and connecting power. The meters also reduce maintenance costs and give co-op members the ability to monitor and conserve energy usage.
The replacement project began in Cedar Park in October 2023. Canyon Lake is the last community slated for replacements, which should be done by the end of August 2024.
As of July 1, PEC had replaced 23,372 old meters in Marble Falls and had only 795 left to go. On the same date in Bertram, 13,257 meters had been replaced with 3,702 remaining.
The total number of meters replaced will be 356,307 when the project is complete.
As of June, PEC had reached a record number of 412,331 total meters on its system. Cedar Park ranks the highest with 81,921 meters. Marble Falls is the sixth of eight communities with 34,070 meters. Bertram is seventh with 19,266 meters.
Other PEC communities are Kyle (second with 77,739), Liberty Hill (third with 76,754), Oak Hill (fourth with 62,704), Canyon Lake (fifth with 50,292), and Junction (seventh with 9,581).
IN OTHER BUSINESS
The Board of Directors’ Aug. 16 meeting will not be live-streamed because an upgrade to the audio-visual system will not be finished in time, according to PEC staff. An audio recording will be available online by Tuesday or Wednesday the week after that meeting.
“The new system will provide a much better experience for our members and staff who watch,” said PEC CEO Julie Parsley.
The Aug. 16 meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Johnson City headquarters at 201 S. Avenue F.