Springfield utility outlines plan to install advanced meters, pauses IRP work pending state bill

CWLP staff told the Committee of the Whole on March 25 that the utility plans to install advanced metering infrastructure, or AMI, across the city and is pausing most Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) work until pending state legislation is resolved.

The presentation came during the Committee of the Whole meeting where CWLP staff updated alderpersons on several items, including a timeline for AMI, a carbon-capture pilot labeled "catch and release," and a forthcoming 25-megawatt solar ordinance. Scott Rogers, electric division manager, described AMI as the system that will allow two-way, near‑real‑time meter communications and remote meter management.

Rogers said the new system will eliminate most manual meter reads, improve outage mapping and restoration, and enable customer-facing portals and time‑of‑use pricing. "We will be able to collect real time data on all of our meters. This will ensure billing accuracy, share revenue accuracy on our side, improve customer engagement and efficiency," Rogers said. He added the AMI project would reduce truck rolls for disconnects and reconnects and improve theft and tamper detection.

Why it matters: the utility said AMI will let staff see which meters are on or off almost instantly, improving outage response and giving customers near‑real‑time usage information. The project is intended to support future rate design options such as time‑of‑use rates and customer programs tied to smart thermostats.

Key details and timeline - Scope: staff said there are "a little over 70,000" electric meters in the system. Rogers called the existing meters AMR (one‑way) and said AMI would enable programmatic updates and commands to meters. - Funding: CWLP plans to fund the project from savings from a 2025 bond refinance; Rogers said those savings are about $12,000,000 per year and will cover the AMI transition. - Procurement and schedule: the utility narrowed 13 vendor submittals to four proposals and expected to finish evaluation in April, issue an ordinance in May, and present a vendor selection ordinance in early June. Full implementation, including network design, software integration, and meter installations, is scheduled to take a little under three years with meter installations lasting about 27 months and a target completion in May 2028. - Customer costs: staff and alderpersons emphasized that the meter replacements will be done at no charge to customers. Rogers said the proposals include public‑facing portals that allow customers to view detailed usage data and that the utility will explore incentives such as discounted smart thermostats for income‑eligible residents.

Staff cautioned about cybersecurity and privacy, saying the AMI communications must meet NERC and IEC standards and be secured to prevent unauthorized account access. Rogers described options like prepay accounts, automatic shutoff on depleted prepayment balances, and improved outage-isolation capabilities.

Integrated Resource Plan and pending state bill CWLP also said it is slowing the formal IRP procurement and major staff effort until the Legislature acts on a bill that would require municipal and cooperative utilities to adopt prescriptive IRPs every three years and give more oversight to the Illinois Power Agency. Staff described the introduced bill as broader and more prescriptive than the 2021 Clean Energy Jobs Act and said the bill could alter public‑participation rules and who can perform IRPs.

"We have to really kind of put things on hold to see and to make sure whatever we do will meet the requirements of the legislation as it's passed," CWLP presenter Doug said. Several aldermen pushed back, saying projects typically continue while waiting for legislative outcomes and that a short delay may be all that is necessary. Rogers and other staff said the pause is to avoid spending staff time and money on work that might have to be redone if the bill becomes law.

Other CWLP items - Carbon capture pilot: staff said a research-focused carbon-capture pilot will begin operations in May to test capture technology; the project will not include long‑term CO2 storage, and the Carbon Safe Grant will fund geological data collection and a planned well drilling for site characterization near (south of) Springfield. - Solar procurement: staff said an ordinance for a 25‑megawatt solar purchase was close to final terms and would appear before the Council soon.

What was not decided CWLP did not present a final vendor or ordinance for AMI at this meeting. The IRP was not adopted; staff characterized the pause as temporary pending the state bill's fate.

Ending note Staff promised further briefings at the committee when the vendor is selected and again as installation begins. Aldermen requested additional public communications and periodic updates so residents and community groups can prepare for installation phases and potential rate and program changes.