TNMP Reaches Deployment Milestone with Installation of 100,000 Itron Cellular Smart Meters

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.—June 5, 2013—Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today that Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP) has installed more than 100,000 Itron cellular smart meters, the most cellular smart meters installed by a single utility. This milestone also brings the total number of Itron cellular smart meters deployed to half a million, the greatest quantity of cellular meters deployed by any one supplier, with an additional 2 million meters contracted with utilities throughout North America.

TNMP will install a total of 240,000 Itron cellular smart meters as a part of its AMI deployment. The AMI system enables TNMP to expand capabilities to support energy management and increase operational efficiencies with an integrated disconnect switch and on-demand read capabilities. Additionally, the system provides a Home Area Network (HAN) communications gateway for demand response, energy efficiency activities and in-home displays, and gives TNMP customers the ability to view their energy usage in 15-minute interval increments.

The cellular network allows TNMP to easily deploy secure smart metering technology to customers across multiple geographies — from dense urban areas to remote rural communities — at a low cost and with significant flexibility to incorporate new technology in the future. Even with its diverse service territory, TNMP has experienced an average read rate exceeding 99 percent. In addition, Itron's managed services offering has helped TNMP avoid the cost of additional IT infrastructure and administration, thus allowing the utility to focus on core business operations.

"We have been very pleased with the performance and accuracy of Itron's smart cellular meters," said Neal Walker, president of TNMP. "The technology has truly delivered."

"With the industry's broadest portfolio of software, communications and measurement technology, Itron has the ability to adapt our solutions to utilities' unique needs. TNMP is a great example of that. Itron's AMI solution is ideally suited to address TNMP's business objectives with ease of deployment across a diverse service territory," said Mark de Vere White, president of Itron's electricity business line. "As demand for cellular smart metering continues to rise, Itron is well positioned to meet utilities' needs with one of the industry's broadest AMI portfolios."