SPOKANE — Spokane-based Avista will spend $165 million over the next two years on new smart meters for its electric and gas customers.
The meters allow people to track their energy use within a 24-hour period and will help the utility more quickly respond to power outages. Avista’s 450,000 customers in Washington will be able to sign up for alerts if energy use begins to exceed average consumption level.
Itron Inc. of Liberty Lake was selected as the contractor for the project.
Avista says no identifiable customer information, such as names or addresses, will be collected or transmitted.
The work begins this fall and will last until 2020.
