FEMA approves $786 million to PREPA to replace damaged meters – Puerto Rico Metro

More than $786 million has been allocated to PREPA to replace nearly 1.5 million meters due to damage after Hurricane Maria, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Recovery Coordinator reported Sunday. .

“These funds are part of allocations under the agency’s FEMA Accelerated Commitment Strategy (FAASt). These meters will provide greater transparency to customers about the service they receive. The infrastructure will also support the government to achieve its public energy policy goals,” Baquero said in written statements. In accordance with federal and local laws.

These meters will have Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), a two-way technology that collects detailed information from meters for all PREPA service areas.

“Advanced metering infrastructure will improve the operation of the electrical system, as well as the metrology and knowledge of the authority and customers to address safety issues and erratic situations during future weather events. He added: “Smart meters will also allow real-time reading so that customers can recognize the quality of the electrical voltage.” “.

The FEMA-approved project states that there will be better detection of energy service outages, as well as a more accurate estimate of the outage duration for affected customers. Likewise, smart meters will provide information to detect faults with hot plugs or broken cables, for example, and thus send help equipment if necessary.

Furthermore, advanced metering infrastructure technology will facilitate the integration of microgrids to restore service with alternative energy resources. By identifying service capacity in problem areas, interconnection points can be provided for better resource distribution and thus reduce interruptions resulting from energy demand.