Honoring Energy and Water Trailblazers at Itron Inspire

At Itron Inspire 2023, we celebrated our esteemed and accomplished customers who are propelling the industry forward – and have the results to prove it.  

Every year at Itron’s premier, customer-focused event, the Excellence in Resourcefulness Awards are presented to utilities that are achieving measurable outcomes in the wise and careful use of energy and water by leveraging advanced technologies or services. The program is designed to recognize a utility or city’s ability to successfully implement technology and behavioral change, producing measurable outcomes in reducing waste of electricity and/or natural gas, and water loss or waste. 

Again this year, Farah Saeed, research director, energy & environment growth advisory at Frost & Sullivan took the stage to announce the recipients of the eighth annual Excellence in Resourcefulness Awards. This year’s winners are Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD).  

One of the ten largest publicly owned electric utilities in the United States and serving the Sacramento region, SMUD was recognized for the utility’s proactive and holistic approach to achieving zero carbon emissions. SMUD is currently piloting Itron’s next-generation advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology, including distributed intelligence, in addition to reviewing its distribution management system and distributed energy resource system. In combination with cutting-edge technologies and revamped business models, the utility is confident in its ability to execute its 2030 Zero Carbon Plan without compromising grid reliability for the surrounding community.  

LVVWD has been providing water to the Las Vegas Valley since 1954 and now provides water to more than one million customers. LVVWD was recognized for taking action to proactively improve water conservation measures by implementing Itron’s AMI solution, designed to provide detailed information on program effectiveness and uncover new programs for customers to adopt, such as seasonal compliance rates. The water provider projects a 15 percent improvement in seasonal compliance rates, which is projected to yield 5.2 billion gallons of water reduction per year, which is equal to the average annual water use of almost 50,000 households.  

As part of the selection process, Frost & Sullivan analyzed utilities in accordance with industry best practices and selection criteria, which included the societal and corporate impact for each category. Indicators for societal impact included increasing customer knowledge and participation, facilitating behavioral change to decrease water waste through customer interaction and technology-driven programs, and producing outstanding waste reduction outcomes that benefit the surrounding community. Indicators for corporate outcomes included a clear vision for addressing excessive waste through technology implementation, attaining operational effectiveness as a result of a successful sustainability strategy, and enhancing the utility’s reputation as a leader in sustainability.  

Next up on Thursday, Itron’s Ben Huggins, senior vice president, customer and market experience, presented the 2023 Itron Innovator Award to one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, Tampa Electric Company (TECO). The award, now in its fourth year, recognizes an Itron customer that leverages Itron’s partner enablement program to deploy a breakthrough solution. TECO was recognized for its Smart Cities and Load Management programs that are benefiting its customers and the surrounding community. As part of its grid modernization project, TECO upgraded more than 200,000 streetlights across its service territory from high-intensity discharge luminaires to energy-efficient LED technology. This enables the utility to immediately detect lighting outages allowing for prompt response. With Itron’s solution, TECO has saved money and significantly improved streetlight restoration response. In addition, TECO is using Itron products for its Electric Vehicle distributed intelligence project, allowing the utility to address localized demand increases on the grid.  

Itron would like to extend a huge thank you to our valued customers and partners for your exceptional efforts to meet the evolving needs of our communities, safeguard our world’s most precious resources and support a more sustainable future for all. If you missed Itron Inspire 2023 or would like to review specific sessions, on-demand content will be available soon.