CPS Energy partners with Silver Spring Networks to grow smart grid network

USA: CPS Energy, the nation’s largest gas and electric combined municipal utility, and Silver Spring Networks, a leading developer of smart energy networks, have partnered to support San Antonio’s smart grid development, helping drive increased energy efficiency, automating energy distribution, and improving grid reliability.

Through this partnership, CPS Energy and Silver Spring Networks will lay the groundwork to implement smart energy and Smart City technology across CPS Energy’s service territory.

The partnership also is an expansion of San Antonio’s New Energy Economy initiative, an innovative effort that helps citizens use energy wisely and protects our environment, while creating valuable economic development opportunities and education investment for San Antonio’s future. In addition to providing smart grid networking services, Silver Spring will help expand the initiative’s economic development, job creation and workforce development efforts.

“The energy industry is undergoing a major transformation, driven in part by technological advancements and customer expectations for more information,” said CPS Energy president and CEO, Doyle Beneby. “Our CPS Energy team is committed to bringing together a broad group of innovators who can help our community prepare for the future. Silver Spring’s vision and world-class technology are an exciting addition to the New Energy Economy hub that is developing in San Antonio.”

“We believe that innovation, energy efficiency, and economic growth go together hand in hand. It’s terrific to partner with leaders like CPS Energy that possess the expansive vision required to solve society’s most challenging problems,” added Scott Lang, chairman, president, and CEO at Silver Spring Networks. “And smart energy is only the beginning – we look forward to partnering with CPS Energy to work to establish the United States’ most modern Smart City infrastructure, fueling innovation and economic growth for years to come.”

The partnership includes:

Growing the New Energy Economy: Underpinning the clean energy future is a modern, reliable, secure and efficient energy infrastructure built to power the next generation of economic growth and productivity. To drive those efforts, CPS Energy has selected Silver Spring Networks to deploy a smart grid network to support its 740,000 electric and 340,000 natural gas customers in the Greater San Antonio area.

In addition to Advanced Metering, CPS Energy will also leverage Silver Spring’s standards-based smart grid networking platform to roll out a Distribution Automation initiative across the service territory and extend availability of CPS Energy’s demand reduction programs.

Silicon Valley Leader to Open San Antonio Office: Silver Spring Networks will open an office in San Antonio to employ product testing and engineering personnel, professional technical consultants, technical operations teams and a variety of permanent staff. This office will also work to develop strategic partnerships with other local companies.

The New Energy Economy Scholarship and Intern Program: CPS Energy and Silver Spring Networks will establish a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) scholarship and intern-training program, supporting students at universities in San Antonio with a goal of creating permanent, new energy-sector jobs in the San Antonio area.