Advanced Metering Infrastructure: Continued Evolution and Opportunities to Deliver Greater Value

Abstract

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has become the standard metering technology for electric utilities across the US, with over 128 million electric AMI meters deployed through 2023.¹ Additionally, millions of natural gas and water meters are being upgraded to AMI as technology has improved and the business case has become stronger. This technology allows utilities to collect meter reading data remotely while also offering various operational and customer benefits through the process automation and data AMI provides. Despite the stated benefits and steady proliferation of AMI, utilities have received criticism in recent years for their AMI deployments failing to deliver on the benefits projected through business cases and regulatory filings, leading to increased pressure from regulators and advocacy groups to prove the value of AMI.² As utilities across the country seek to deploy AMI successfully for the first time, evaluate ways to deliver more value from their existing AMI assets, or look to replace their aging AMI systems, it will be crucial that they take stock of the current state of AMI and avoid the common pitfalls of past deployments.