Press/Announcements

OATI and NRTC Form Strategic Alliance to Bring Next Generation Demand Response

Open Access Technology International, Inc. (OATI) and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) will collaborate to help cooperatives use demand-side assets to improve reliability and drive revenue.

Minneapolis, MN: September 23, 2013 – OATI, the premier provider of software solutions to the North American energy industry, and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), today announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance to deliver demand-side Software-as-a-Service solutions that will help rural utilities successfully administer the complexities of their power management operations.

These demand side management tools from OATI provide NRTC’s generation and transmission (G&T) and distribution cooperative members with Smart Grid solutions that go far beyond reliability improvements by closing the gap between retail and bulk power operations. OATI webDistribute, for load control and conservation voltage reduction (CVR), is a comprehensive tool to monitor, control, schedule, and manage the entire Demand Response (DR) lifecycle – from program enrollment to DR event management to billing and settlements. It also provides the assessment tools necessary to make smart decisions about when and how to engage DR assets. This functionality gives electric cooperatives the ability to harness DR for grid reliability and drive the economic advantages associated with demand reduction.

OATI webDistribute is complemented by OATI webSmartView, a customer engagement portal for end consumers. OATI webSmartView is a web-based and smartphone-enabled engagement application that enables end-use consumers to view their energy usage information, manage their energy consumption, and engage in demand side management programs.

“By aggregating demand side assets-like water heaters, AC units, and thermal storage-into dispatchable resources that can be scheduled, just like generation, OATI webDistribute helps utilities fully harness the reliability, economic, and social values of their assets,” says Jerry Dempsey, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Sales, and Marketing at OATI.

Edward Drew, Vice President of Utility Solutions at NRTC says, “We are very excited to offer NRTC’s members these next-generation solutions, which will allow G&Ts and their member co-ops to meet both individual and group Demand Response needs. This multi-entity functionality will enable rural utilities to achieve economies of scale that no individual member could realize on their own.”

About OATI
OATI provides software solutions that are proactively transforming the business of energy. Since 1995, OATI solutions have been helping to manage the trading and transmission demands of the deregulated energy market. With next generation applications used by more than 95% of North American reliability organizations, OATI is one of the most trusted names in the energy arena. Today, the company offers products stretching from wholesale to retail, including Trading & Risk Management, Transmission, and Smart Grid solutions. Visit www.oati.com to learn how these solutions give customers real-time access to the mission critical information they need to get more done.

About NRTC
The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) represents the advanced telecommunications and information technology interests of more than 1,500 rural utilities and affiliates in 48 states. Founded in 1986, NRTC provides products and services developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, such as high-speed Internet access via satellite, full service Internet access and support, advanced metering infrastructure, wireless technologies, power quality products, long distance programs, mobile phone service and programming distribution rights for video providers. For more information, visit www.nrtc.coop.