ConEd and IBM Partnering to Let New Yorkers Monitor Power Demand in Real Time

Feb. 11, 2016 — In a move that could help avert heat wave-induced power outages and blackouts, Consolidated Edison Inc. has chosen IBM to build a platform that will allow New York City customers to monitor and control their power demand in real time.

The platform is part of ConEd’s $1.3 billion plan to install millions of smart meters for customers in its service territory that will track their power and gas use, Bloomberg Business reports. When up and running, the program will offer consumers access to demand data every 15 minutes, faster than other services of its kind, which now take several hours or even a day, according to ConEd.

Customers receiving their power demand in real time can more easily participate in programs that pay them for cutting use in critical situations when the grid needs it most, such as a heat wave.

“We see it as a game changer for the residents of New York City,” says Tom Magee, general manager of ConEd’s advanced metering team. “We are in a new phase.”