TVA is finally starting to replace some of their ancient mechanical meters here in East Tennessee. These Westinghouse units are from the 1970s and still using mechanical demand registers. Anyone know if they're going straight to AMI or just upgrading to newer electronic meters? The old meters are bulletproof but getting harder to calibrate and repair.
TVA mechanical meter replacement program
Terry, I heard from my contact at Nashville Electric that TVA is planning a phased approach - electronic meters first, then AMI infrastructure later. They're being very conservative compared to other utilities. Honestly, those old mechanical meters are more accurate than some of the early smart meters I've seen. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The mechanical meters in Memphis are still rock solid after 30+ years. MLGW just recalibrated one from 1983 and it was still within 0.5% accuracy. These new electronic meters better be just as reliable, but I have my doubts. Technology isn't always an improvement when the old stuff already works perfectly.