NorthWestern Energy partners with 200 Helena residents on smart grid experiment

The project is aimed at testing emerging smart grid energy technology that could lead to lower energy costs and fewer outages for consumers and more efficient energy management for NorthWestern http://www.northwesternenergy.com/ , according to Bill Thomas, NorthWestern’s manager of Regulatory Support Services.

Ryan Wilkinson is one of 200 Helena residents and two government buildings involved in Northwestern Energy’s smart grid energy project.

"It’s still pretty experimental," Wilkinson said of the project Thursday afternoon, reaching for a small digital device about the size of a GPS system you might see in a car. "This is the in-home display, It’s probably the part I use the most. This thing pretty much tells you what’s going on."

His house was the first in the city to be equipped with the smart grid technology: a smart meter, digital control display and all the wireless and digital radio equipment that allows he and NorthWestern Energy to track his electricity usage.

By EDDIE GREGG Independent Record

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