Business Facilities - August 2008 - (Page 26)

national bridges connect southern Texas with the industrial border communities of Reynosa and Matamoros, and the nearby interior city of Monterrey, Mexico. Together, regional population totals more than five million people, with the Mission area being the nearest U.S. retail market. Another bridge, Anzalduas International Crossing, which links Reynosa to Mission, is scheduled to open in 2009. Another crossing in the metro area has also been announced recently. Thousands of annual crossings have improved with the opening of the SENTRI lanes, which allow quicker access from Mexico. In addition, shoppers spent more than $2.5 billion in 2006, making the Mission MSA one of the most dynamic retail shopping areas in the nation. Area leaders on the U.S. side have also been keen to other infrastructure planning needs, creating a new sixlane expressway connecting the entire Valley. Another major artery of transportation will be America’s newest Interstate Highway, I-69, which will connect trade routes from Mexico and Latin America to the United States and Canada—with Mission as the center of that connection hub. South Texas continues to thrive because of its low cost of living, career opportunities, and convenient location. Every day more companies discover the Valley and relocate to the “border towns” that have become one of the most exciting, prosperous metropolitan areas in the nation. Over the years, technology advancements have brought a num26 AUGUST 2008 TXU-ONCOR: ADVANCED METERS BRING BENEFITS TO CONSUMERS ber of benefits to our everyday lives; cell phones enable us to stay in touch anywhere we go and laptops keep us online regardless of where we are. Texas is about to become a world leader with the next wave of technology deployments—in your electric meter. Texas policy makers have challenged the industry to deploy some of the most advanced electric meters, bringing significant benefits to consumers and the environment. Current electric meters are using technology that actually is older than the technology in rotary phones— replaced long ago. These new meters will give consumers information they need to make more informed decisions which will enable them to conserve more easily. Global studies have shown that by simply having the information available at their fingertips, consumers can cut their usage by at least five percent. During the next four years, Oncor will be among the global leaders in this technology deployment as the company installs more than 3 million advanced technology electric meters throughout its delivery network. Every home and business in Oncor’s service area, which covers approximately one third of Texas, will be equipped with advanced meters. With its new advance meter deployment—the largest deployment in the nation—Oncor will change the way Texans use and think about electricity. If consumers in Oncor’s service territory are able to conserve five percent, as global studies have shown others have reached, the savings will top $300 million annually. The environment also will benefit, as the emissions from 1.9 billion kWh will no longer be put into the air. “It’s essentially an electricity speedometer that puts control in the hands of consumers,” says Oncor CEO Bob Shapard. “More efficient use of electricity will also reduce the need for new generation plants and help keep our air cleaner.” In addition to the potential economic and conservation benefits, these advanced meters will improve overall reliability of the electric system. The advanced meters have twoway communications capability that will help minimize the number and duration of power outages by providing an ongoing picture of system outages and potential trouble spots. With this leading edge technology, utilities can read meters remotely, potentially avoiding estimated meter readings, skipped meters, and inconvenience to consumers with hard-toreach meters. As with any new technology, the new meters will only create the benefits if consumers know how to use them. To teach consumers about the capabilities of the new meters, Oncor kicked off its SMART TEXAS Rethinking Energy consumer education program and tour in May. The tour uses a 1,000-square-foot Mobile Experience Center (MEC) equipped with six “experience centers” to display the benefits that can be achieved with the information provided by Oncor’s new advanced meter technology. Benefits include a greater awareness of how and when energy is being consumed and, therefore, the ability to control energy consumption in order to reduce consumers’ electric bills and help the environment. The MEC uses videos, interactive kiosks, and real world demonstrations to show consumers A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Business Facilities - August 2008

Business Facilities - August 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves: Florida Economic Development 2.0 Everything's Big in Texas Aerospace Sites: Poised for Takeoff The Nebraska Advantage Metro Spotlight: Cullman, Alabama Special Focus: Louisiana Industry Focus: Financial Centers Advertiser Index Inside LiveXChange

Business Facilities - August 2008

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