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Aclara, a leader in Intelligent Infrastructure and part of the Utility Solutions Group of ESCO Technologies Inc., announces that Colombian utility EMCALI EICE ESE (EMCALI) has chosen its TWACS technology for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

The initial contract with the utility provides for deployment of the TWACS technology to five substations and 14,500 customers, with a provision for doubling the installation size without additional approval. EMCALI management has stated its plan is to reach as much as 25% of their grid by the end of 2011, and the utility has earmarked the project's funding in their three-year budgeting plan.

The TWACS AMI system will handle prepayment and non-technical loss solutions in addition to the full AMI feature set that includes meter reading, outage management, line balancing, aggregate demand, voltage quality and other miscellaneous cost-saving solutions.

As a long-term partner with the utility, Aclara will assist EMCALI, which serves 550,000 electric as well as 440,000 water customers in Santiago de Cali, with initiatives to improve the operating processes of the utility, to enhance service to users, and to facilitate efficient operation of the electricity distribution system. Assuming full deployment, EMCALI will have the largest AMI implementation in South America, offering advanced prepayment services system, providing significant operating cost savings through the reduction of non-technical losses, and employing full AMI capability.

In addition, Aclara's solution will provide EMCALI with a custom web-service interface that will facilitate exchanging and synchronizing of prepay billing and payment data with a master billing station. The system configuration will include a specially designed solution that places pole-mounted, AMI-enabled meters away from homes.

"Aclara's robust TWACS technology met all of EMCALI's requirements for servicing its customers," said Roberto Barto, Senior Vice President International for Aclara. "We look forward to developing our long-term partnership with this important South American utility."

The Aclara Two-Way Automatic Communications System (TWACS) technology is a proven, fixed-network solution that uses patented technology to transmit data over power lines. Aclara TWACS technology offers two-way communication to electric meters and provides for timely billing, load control, demand response, and outage detection and assessment. With the system, utilities can effectively manage customer data and reduce costs while enabling innovation and providing superior customer service.

About Aclara
The Aclara brand represents the industry's leading Intelligent Infrastructure technologies for providing device networking, data-value management, and customer communications to water, gas, and electric utilities globally. Over 500 utilities in nine countries rely on proven Aclara solutions to connect with their customers. Aclara is part of the Utility Solutions Group of ESCO Technologies Inc., St. Louis. Create Your Intelligent Infrastructure. For more informtaion, visit: www.Aclara.com.

SOURCE: Aclara