NEWS RELEASE
Montana-Dakota Utilities to Begin Automated Meter Reading Project
BISMARCK, N.D. – Dec. 20, 2006 – Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today that it has signed a comprehensive automated meter reading (AMR) contract with Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (Montana-Dakota) for approximately 277,000 electric and gas meters in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The contract includes Itron solid state electric meters, gas AMR modules, Itron Fixed Network 2.0, mobile data collectors, Itron Enterprise Edition Meter Data Management software solution, project management and installation services.
Montana-Dakota has chosen to deploy Itron’s integrated AMR solution to improve customer service and reduce operating costs. In addition to the fixed network system, Montana-Dakota is implementing Itron Enterprise Edition Meter Data Management (MDM) software enterprise wide, to provide enhanced data analysis and flexibility for future system changes. As a long time customer, Montana-Dakota has used Itron’s handheld meter reading and offsite meter reading (OMR) systems for years. The utility will now saturate the majority of their meters with AMR technology and use Itron’s Mobile AMR and Fixed Network 2.0 network systems to read those meters. In addition to cost effective and accurate meter reading, Montana-Dakota is deploying fixed network technology for outage management capabilities and off-cycle reads to enhance customer service.
“We were looking for an advanced fixed network system that featured a flexible and economic design that allows for future growth,” said Bruce Imsdahl, president and CEO of Montana-Dakota. “We also wanted to deploy meter data management software to take full advantage of the detailed data provided by that network and use it across our organization.
“In the end, it was Itron who provided us with a vision of how we wanted to operate in the future. Itron has a proven track record of delivering these components as a fully integrated and compatible solution.”
Itron’s end-to-end solutions for Montana-Dakota include solid-state electric meters and gas meter modules to back office software to support, data analysis and outage management. Because Montana-Dakota’s service territory covers such extensive terrain and rural/urban service areas, Montana-Dakota chose to implement the most economic data collection method for each area. The meter replacement project is expected to begin in March 2007 in Mandan, N.D. The project is expected to conclude in 2008.
“During our long-term relationship with Montana-Dakota Utilities, we have successfully deployed several meter reading initiatives,” said Malcolm Unsworth, senior vice president for Itron hardware solutions. “By choosing the combination of fixed network and mobile AMR technologies, Montana-Dakota has positioned itself to take advantage of technologies that will serve them well into the future. We are delighted to continue our partnership with Montana-Dakota.”
About Montana-Dakota Utilities
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. distributes natural gas and generates, transmits and distributes electricity and provides related services in the northern Great Plains. Montana-Dakota is a division of MDU Resources Group, Inc., a multidimensional natural resources enterprise traded on the New York Stock Exchange as “MDU.” For more information about Montana-Dakota, visit the company’s Web site at www.mdu.com.
About Itron
Itron is a leading technology provider and critical source of
knowledge to the global energy and water industries. Nearly 3,000 utilities
worldwide rely on Itron’s award-winning technology to provide the knowledge they
require to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Itron creates
value for its clients by providing industry-leading solutions for electricity
metering; meter data collection; energy information management; demand response;
load forecasting, analysis and consulting services; distribution system design
and optimization; web-based workforce automation; and enterprise and residential
energy management. To know more, start here:
www.itron.com.
For additional information, contact:
Mark Hanson, Public Relations Representative, (701) 530-1093, mark.hanson@mduresources.com.