U.S. Department
of Justice
CURRENT Group Broadband Overview
The views and opinions expressed in this submission are solely those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Department of Justice.
Slide 1
CURRENT Group, LLC
Broadband Overview
November 2007
| Proprietary and Confidential | CURRENT Group, LLC | 20420 Century Boulevard | Germantown, MD 20874 | +1 301.944.2700 |
Slide 2
CURRENT BPL Network Architecture
BPL solutions can provide advanced sensors distributed throughout the network and a high speed, symmetrical communications network
Slide 3
CURRENT Communications Services
Consumer Broadband Services
CURRENT BPL solution provides high performance consumer communication services
- Alternative to cable and DSL for wholesale or retail service offering:
- Opportunity to leverage brand and customer relationships of the electric utility
- Opportunity to leverage brand and customer relationships of other retail marketers
CURRENT.NET Customer Portal
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Powerline Modems:
Available with Wireless, Ethernet, or USB Interfaces |
Slide 4
CURRENT Communications Services
Consumer Broadband Services
Broadband High-Speed Internet Service
10+ Mbps data rate
High “peak hour”available capacity
| Features
Truly Plug-and-play
Low-Latency + Near-Symmetrical
Instant Local Area Network (LAN)
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Services
Data
Voice Video |
Slide 5
Broadband Over Powerline (BPL) Services
| BPL Market Size(Newton-Evans July 2007) | U.S. Households Passed | Worldwide Households Passed | U.S. Subscribers | Worldwide Subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 745k | 1.3 M | 75 K | 215 K |
| 2010 | 20 M | 69.5 M | 2.5 M | 7.2 M |
Slide 6
CURRENT Smart Grid
Energy Efficiency
Smart Grid can improve energy efficiency and reliability
“If we could make the electric grid even 5 percent more efficient, we would save more than 42gigawattsof energy: the equivalent of production from 42 large coal-fired power plants. Those are plants that we would not need to build and emissions that we would not produce”(CommissionerWellinghof, U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission testifying to U.S. Congress, May 2007)
“A peer-reviewed analysis of 11 studies in 2004 indicated a median achievable economic potential (savings from the intelligent air conditionerand similar devices), of 24% of total U.S. electricity demand . . . Customers equipped with enabling technologies (automatic price-sensitive thermostats) delivered a response that was twice as high as those customers who did not have enabling technology.”(Michael Howard of EPRI testifying to U.S. Congress, May 2007)
The grid is going to have to be updated to handle 20-30% ofrenewablesthat many state renewable portfolio standards are calling for . . . That can bechallenging with intermittent resources such as wind. . . . Turbines have to shutdown to protect themselves when wind hits 60 mph and if wind blows at night the Danes often have to shut off other generators.(EPRI President Dr. StevenSpeckerpresenting at the 2007 Deloitte Energy Conference)
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CURRENT Smart Grid
Emerging Issues require Utilities implement a Smart Grid
Over last several years, utility executives and regulators have become increasingly concerned about multiple issues that can only be addressed through an enterprise wide smart grid solution
| Cost and Uncertainty about New Generation and Transmission | Environmental Impact |
| Increasing Requirements for the use of Renewables and Distributed Generation | Aging workforce |
| Enhanced Demand Response |
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| Smart Grid System-wide |
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| Asset Management |
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| Advanced Future Grid Enhancements |
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Slide 8
Oncor (formerly TXU Electric Delivery)
CURRENT awarded the largest BPL / Smart Grid deployment and services agreement ever by TXU
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Dallas Deployment Map |
Slide 9
CURRENT Overview
Success to Date – Duke Energy
- Nation’s 2nd largest BPL deployment with 50,000+ homes passed in Cincinnati
- Today’s offering: Tiered data access (up to 3Mbps symmetric) + VoIP
- Approximately 50% of subscribers switched from DSL or cable
- 95% customer satisfaction
- Competing head-to-head with Time Warner and Cincinnati Bell
Slide 10
Summary
Smart Grid Offers a Clean Energy Opportunity
The distribution of electricity is still largely a traditional rate base-regulated industry. Rate base regulation makes it difficult for regulatedcompanies to strive for increased efficiencies or demand reduction.
Utility Incentives are becoming aligned to implement Smart Grid
- Utilities should have incentives to reduce, not increase demand
- Utilities should have incentives to reduce line losses and make other grid efficiency improvements
- Utility’s return on Smart Grid programs should be competitive with the returns on capital for power plants that increase potential revenue
- Regulators need to provide certainty to Utilities about how theywill respond to Smart Grid programs
Public Support of Alternative, Renewable fuels or Smart Grid conservation measures should be balanced
- Smart Grid should be viewed as a renewable resource
- Distribution Grid can make significant contribution to improving grid efficiency and should be equal to emphasis placed on transmission
Smart Grid technology will have a meaningful impact on reducing CO2 emissions
Slide 11
CURRENT Overview
- The leader in Smart Grid and differentiated BPL services
- Integrated communications, sensors and management and analytic software solution
- Largest U.S. Smart Grid services and broadband deployment in progress with Oncor (formerly TXU ED) (1.8M homes, 200K businesses, 450K elements)
- Selected as Global supplier for AES Corporation with initial deployment in São Paulo, Brazil where AES Eletropaulo services over 5 million customers
- Working with Iberdrola, Enel and EDF in an EU funded program to develop European Smart Grid with a focus on wide-scale deployment of distributed generation, renewables and demand side management
- Winner of 2006 Red Herring’s Top 100 Private Companies and 2006 Platts Global Energy Commercial Technology of the Year award
- Investors include:
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