PRESS RELEASE

Elster to Offer Advanced Smart Grid Solutions Using Cisco Technology

Cisco's Connected Grid Endpoint reference design SDK to be used with Elster's EnergyAxis® System

SAN JOSE, CA and RALEIGH, NC – Sep. 18, 2012 – Cisco and Elster announced today that Elster will offer smart grid solutions for field area networks using Cisco's technology. The solutions will integrate the Cisco Connected Grid Endpoint reference design with Elster's EnergyAxis System, and will showcase the power and flexibility of Elster's Universal technology while demonstrating support for Cisco's expertise in standards-based and interoperable communication solutions.

Through this integration of communication functions into advanced meters, utility customers will be provided with an even more flexible, secure, and economical Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) communications infrastructure. The combined solution will integrate the Elster EnergyAxis architecture within the Cisco IPv6 RF Mesh reference design.

Cisco has developed a complete suite of communications solutions for the smart grid. These include the Connected Grid Endpoint reference design as well as a full suite of switching, routing, network management and security products for the Field Area Network, Transmission & Substations, and Grid Operations. Plus Connected Grid Services to architect and optimize Smart Grid communications systems.

In addition to providing a comprehensive suite of AMI capabilities, Elster's EnergyAxis architecture enables smart meters to act as sensors for Distribution Automation and Asset Management applications such as Outage Notification, Voltage Monitoring, Asset Monitoring, and Loss Detection.  These advanced solutions enable utilities to extract even more value from their AMI investments. Elster is licensing the Cisco Connected Grid Endpoint reference design and software development kit (SDK).The addition of the Connected Grid Endpoint reference design further expands the EnergyAxis System interoperability and standards-based optimization.

With its innovative Software-Defined Radio and advanced software based metrology, Elster's REXUniversal meter platform offers utilities the flexibility to deploy this device with the Cisco GridBlocks^TM Solution Architecture, the Landis+Gyr GridStream^TM architecture (previously announced), as well as the Elster EnergyAxis Architecture.

Elster intends to develop EnergyAxis communications firmware that will operate within Cisco's 1000 Series Connected Grid Routers, and leverage application programming interfaces from the Cisco Connected Grid Network Management System.

"Cisco is committed to supporting our customers' need for interoperable vendor solutions," said Lionel Chocron, Vice President, Connected Energy Networks at Cisco. "By licensing the reference design to industry leaders such as Elster, we are enabling utilities to combine AMI communications over a common, reliable and secure communications infrastructure."

"As a Smart Grid solutions industry leader, Elster is committed to true interoperability and innovation," said Ed Myszka, President of Elster Solutions. "This announcement builds on Elster's track record of collaboration and integration to deliver the next generation of interoperability needed by utilities as they deploy Smart Grid solutions."

About Cisco

Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking, is helping the energy industry modernize the electrical grid from generation to distribution to consumption - with highly secure, reliable and scalable communications solutions. The Cisco Connected Grid solutions include: Transmission and Substation, Field Area Network, Grid Security, Data Center and Grid Operations. To learn more, please visit www.cisco.com/go/utilities.

About Elster

Elster is one of the world's largest electricity, gas and water measurement and control providers. Its offerings include distribution monitoring and control, advanced smart metering, demand response, networking and software solutions, and numerous related communications and services – key components for enabling consumer choice, operational efficiency and conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by utilities in the traditional and emerging Smart Grid markets. 

Elster has one of the most extensive installed revenue measurement bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. It sells its products and services in more than 130 countries across electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for residential, commercial and industrial, and transmission and distribution applications.

For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com.

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News Release from Dominion

Dominion News

Dominion Virginia Power Offshore Wind Study Recommends Ocean Substations Be Added in Atlantic

Mar 13, 2012

RICHMOND, Va., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- One offshore substation platform with two 230,000-volt power lines is appropriate to transmit to shore every 500-700 megawatts of wind-generated electricity constructed off the coast of Virginia, a study done at Dominion Virginia Power's request recommends.

The report, completed by ABB Power Systems Consulting, evaluated the offshore transmission options to support future projects and built its recommendations on the company's first study in 2010 that looked at potential on-shore interconnection options and upgrades needed to support offshore wind generation projects. The studies complement one another as transmission lines from the four recommended offshore service platforms would likely be routed to two separate onshore interconnection points.

The report acknowledges the potential cost savings that may be achieved through construction of offshore transmission infrastructure completed in stages with a potential for standardization. The approach also limits the potential for stranded transmission investment as offshore wind farms are constructed.

The report estimated the cost for each offshore service platform, its equipment and submarine transmission cables at approximately $652 million.

"As public policy is developed to support wind farms off Virginia's coast and leases are issued, Dominion will continue evaluating transmission options to ensure the identification of the lowest cost alternative for bringing offshore wind electricity to customers," said Scot Hathaway, vice president-Electric Transmission.  "It is important that we continue to understand these costs and work to reduce them as we consider the possibility of offshore wind generation."

Dominion is planning to respond to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's call for information for wind generation in about 113,000 acres of leasing areas approximately 24 miles off the Virginia coast. The leasing area is divided into 19 whole blocks, each 3-by-3 miles, and 13 partial ones.

Dominion has a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to work with partners and find ways to reduce the costs of offshore wind generation. The DOE estimates that offshore wind generation alone would cost about 24 cents per kilowatt-hour; Dominion's residential rates today for generation, transmission and distribution services are about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.

To read the report, please visithttp://www.dom.com/news/2012/pdf/dominion_offshore_public_report_3-13-2012.pdf.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 28,000 megawatts of generation, 11,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,300 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system with 947 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

Follow us on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/DomVAPower. 'Like' us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/dominionvirginiapower.

SOURCE Dominion