National Information Solutions Cooperativeis partnering with Google Inc. to integrate Google PowerMeter into NISC’s new iVUE Meter Data Management System. With this partnership, NISC will provide Google PowerMeter to NISC’s utility members and customers as a fully integrated customer self-service option. NISC made the announcement late last week in front of approximately 500 utility cooperative Members and customers attending the Utility General Session of its annual Member Information Conference, a learning event for members of the utility and telecommunications industries, in St. Louis, Mo.

The NISC MDMS allows utilities to leverage the growing volumes of Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Smart Grid data into NISC’s existing iVUE enterprise application for customer billing, accounting, engineering and e-commerce. The relationship will enable users of NISC’s self-service application to enroll and view hourly and daily consumption information, helping them understand their consumption patterns and make more informed choices about how they use electricity.

NISC welcomed former NASA astronaut and Google Advanced Projects Program Manager, Dr. Ed Lu, to its Member Information Conference to confirm the partnership with Google and to discuss the projected impact of Smart Grid on utilities and end-user customers.

“We are excited to expand our efforts with rural electric and municipal utilities who are committed to helping their consumers save electricity,” said Lu. “Because of NISC’s strong relationships with the rural cooperative market and several hundred mid-sized utilities throughout America, we’re thrilled about integrating Google PowerMeter into NISC’s customer self-service and MDMS applications. We are eager to better understand the energy savings benefits and changes in consumer behavior when customers use this integrated solution.”

NISC’s solution will provide access to data that will enable providers the opportunity to realize operational efficiencies by improving resource forecasting, monitoring distribution system reliability and enabling immediate demand response programs. This solution is a natural extension to the industry-leading iVUE application suite provided to utilities today.

Vern Dosch, NISC president and CEO, said, “Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative will be the first of several Member utilities deploying the iVUE MDMS, including the Google PowerMeter option, starting later this month.”

On Aug. 26, NISC submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Energy for a Smart Grid Demonstration Program Funding Opportunity. SGDP funding could allow NISC to provide iVUE MDMS to utility customers years sooner than a normal development cycle. The NISC MDMS initiative will potentially impact more 7.5 million customers in 47 states.

NISC hosted a virtual press conference following the announcement to its Members and customers to discuss the Google partnership and the MDMS project. Dosch opened the press conference, attended by industry media and analysts, detailing the project objectives.

“Our first objective in this endeavor is to serve as a collection point for data coming in from all over the country,” Dosch said. “This allows us to begin the education process for consumers, helping them be more efficient by understanding how to improve their consumption patterns. It’s an important first step in being part of the solution of the energy crisis rather than part of the problem.”