LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — January 28, 2009 — Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today that it has signed a contract with CELPE, the electrical utility located in Pernambuco, Brazil, for deployment of Revenue Protection Services. CELPE belongs to the Neo Energia Group, one of the main utility groups in Brazil, with more than 7.9 million customers.
The three-year contract will help CELPE identify non-technical losses for more than 2.8 million consumers in the state of Pernambuco whose territory covers 333,000 square kilometers.
Revenue Protection Services include field inspections, meter replacement in case of installation problems, and debt calculation and negotiation. Itron has a team of 300 employees in six regional offices including electricians, technicians, engineers and administrative staff who will deliver the quality services required in the contract.
“We have great expectations for this new contract and look forward to the introduction of new technologies and an improvement in our results,” said José Cherem Pinto, CELPE’s superintendent.
“By choosing Itron for its revenue protection services, CELPE joins a number of utilities that have discovered the financial, operational and customer service benefits of Itron’s portfolio for revenue assurance that includes smart meters, centralized meter systems, prepayment, and round-the-clock Itron support and services,” said Fernando Perches, president of Itron International, South America. “We look forward to working with CELPE and the Neo Energia Group to move forward with this offering, helping them to reduce non-technical losses and provide greater benefits to their clients and investors.”
About Itron:
Itron Inc. is a leading technology provider to the global energy and water industries. Itron Inc. consists of Itron in North America and Actaris outside of North America. Our company is the world’s leading provider of metering, data collection and utility software solutions, with nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Our products include electricity, gas and water meters, data collection and communication systems, including automated meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI); meter data management and related software applications; as well as project management, installation, and consulting services. To know more, start here: www.itron.com.
About CELPE
With 2,8 million customers, the company serves 186 municipalities and invests heavily to provide quality service for its consumers. In 2007, the company built 134 km of transmission lines, 245 km of feeder, 740 km of distribution networks and electrified over 21.000 small farms. As a modern company, CELPE has made changes in its structure: build 150 new agencies, adopting a high standard of customer care services, created a new Call Center and a modern Integrated Operations Centers. In addition, the Company invests in training and empowerment of employees and suppliers to raise the standard in customer care and services. www.celpe.com.br
For additional information, contact:
Kim Papich
Itron Communications and Marketing
(509) 891-3590
kim.papich@itron.com
