SPOKANE, WA — June 3, 2004 — Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today a new contract to provide underground and overhead distribution infrastructure design tools to Northeast Utilities Service Company (NUSCO) to help Northeast Utilities operating companies (NU) streamline the siting, design and construction of electric and natural gas distribution lines.
The multi-million dollar contract for Itron’s LD-Pro engineering line design software is a key component of NU’s Work Management Project, a focused effort on the part of the utility to reduce costs and improve business processes throughout its field services, construction and maintenance operations. Further cost savings and efficiencies will be gained through LD-Pro’s ability to integrate easily with NU’s GE Smallworld GIS (Geographic Information System) and Worksuite’s STORMS WMS (Work Management Systems).
NU operates New England’s largest energy delivery system, serving 1.7 million electric power customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as natural gas customers in Connecticut. NU has four electric operating subsidiaries, Connecticut Light and Power Company, Public Service Company of New Hampshire, Western Massachusetts Electric Company and North Atlantic Energy Corporation, and one gas subsidiary, Yankee Gas Services Company.
Russ Vanos, Vice President and General Manager for Itron’s Energy Market Group, said the contract with NU highlights Itron’s ability to work with all types of systems and interface with other contractors to provide utilities the most efficient and cost-effective tools in the industry.
“Our LD-Pro engineering line design software is part of a much larger solution portfolio Itron provides to improve nearly every aspect of utility operations,” Vanos said. “By implementing our LD-Pro line design software and integrating that tool with their GIS and WMS systems, Northeast Utilities will provide their engineers with a powerful tool to achieve design, reliability and safety objectives while optimizing productivity and costs.”
“We’ve extended our installed solutions at Northeast Utilities beyond meter data collection, data management with MV-90, and forecasting tools with this LD-Pro contract. We are delighted to participate in NU’s distribution system design and in their work management project.”
About Itron
Itron is a leading technology provider and critical source of knowledge to the global energy and water industries. More than 2,800 utilities worldwide rely on Itron technology to deliver the knowledge they require to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Itron delivers value to its clients by providing industry-leading solutions for meter data collection, energy information management, demand side management and response, load forecasting, analysis and consulting services, transmission and distribution system design and optimization, web-based workforce automation, C&I customer care, enterprise and residential energy management. To know more, start here: www.itron.com.
About Northeast Utilities
Northeast Utilities operates New England’s largest energy delivery system, serving 1.7 million electric power customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and natural gas customers in Connecticut. NU is one of the largest competitive energy suppliers in New England and is a major energy trader in the Northwest. Its electric operating subsidiaries include Connecticut Light and Power, Public Service Company of New Hampshire, Western Massachusetts Electric Company and North Atlantic Energy Corporation. NU’s gas subsidiary is Yankee Gas Services Company.
For additional information, contact:
Christina Kelly
Marketing/Communications Specialist
(509) 891-3268
christina.kelly@itron.com
