OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As OG&E begins implementing
its Positive Energy® Smart Grid program in Norman, Okla., the company
announced that The Structure Group was selected to continue supporting the
implementation of their smart grid roadmap.
OG&E plans to install 42,000 new digital meters across Norman in 2010. During
the same time, about 3,000 Norman customers will be equipped with new
programmable thermostats and energy-use devices to help them track and control
their electricity use and costs.
OG&E started working with The Structure Group to develop an approach to
transform the electric utility to meet the changing demands associated with
smart grid. Work with The Structure Group has included collaborating on the
business case to support the Positive Energy® Smart Grid program, creating
"day in the life" scenarios that detail how smart grid technology could be
used most effectively, and developing requests for proposals for other
partners to support implementation of the program. By integrating areas such
as distribution automation, advanced metering, demand response, cyber security
and compliance, OG&E foresees the development of an integrated solution that
enhances the customer experience while reducing overall operating costs.
The team moves now to the next phases of the program which includes
implementation planning, business process reengineering, system deployment
/integration and field deployment for Norman.
"Our program will integrate in-home technology, such as communicating
programmable thermostats, with advanced technology on our electric
distribution system," said Ken Grant, Managing Director for OG&E's Smart Grid
program. "The Structure Group has been a strong partner as we've developed
plans for implementing smart grid technology in Norman, and we look forward to
a continued relationship with them."
"The Structure Group brought a comprehensive approach to OG&E's smart grid
planning and vendor selection efforts which provided a strong platform for
OG&E's evolution that occurs with transformational projects. OG&E is on the
forefront of the smart grid development continuum and The Structure Group is
excited to assist OG&E in implementing this next phase of the smart grid
roadmap," said Stacey Wood, Smart Grid Principal for The Structure Group.
OG&E, which serves more than 773,000 customers in a service territory spanning
30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas, is a subsidiary of
Oklahoma City-based OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE), which also is the parent
company of Enogex LLC, a midstream natural gas pipeline business with
principal operations in Oklahoma.
The Structure Group is a leading provider of consulting services and business
solutions to utilities and energy market participants in North America and
Europe. Structure has assisted more than 70 clients on business transformation
projects. Structure offers comprehensive consulting services and deep energy
industry expertise through six consulting practices: AMI / MDM / Smart Grid,
Energy Management and Control Systems, Energy Trading and Risk Management,
Competitive Market Solutions, Utility Enterprise Asset Management, and
Regulatory Compliance. For more information, visit www.thestructuregroup.com.
SOURCE OGE Energy Corp.
Brian Alford of OG&E, +1-405-553-3187; or Phyllis Goodson of The Structure
Group, +1-910-616-9160
