Utility benefits of electronic demand recorder application, translation software, and communication

Rural electric cooperatives face problems related to rates, cost pressures, threats of merger or acquisitions, low load factors, territorial conflicts, and deregulation. It is shown how the application of the electronic recording system can help deal with these problems. An integrated approach involving three major components, electronic recorders, communication, and data translation, is proposed. The system can be used for applications such as distribution studies, real-time pricing, interruptible rates, utility and customer load profile data analysis, rate design, and load management