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Silver Spring Networks and OG&E Electric Services Partner to Deploy Smart Grid Technology

Positive Energy® SmartPower project delivers improved energy information and control to customers

Redwood City, CA – January 21, 2009 - OG&E Electric Services, a utility serving 765,000 customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas, and smart grid infrastructure experts Silver Spring Networks, announced today the successful completion of the initial phase of a Smart Grid technology pilot project.

The project involved the deployment of Silver Spring Networks’ advanced network infrastructure and the Greenbox energy management web-based portal in 25 homes in northwest Oklahoma City. In addition, meters connected to Silver Spring Networks’ advanced technology were installed in about 6,600 apartments in the same area to allow remote initiation and termination of service.

OG&E selected the pilot program location in northwest Oklahoma City due to the area’s historically high number of service calls, approximately 10,000 per year. Using SmartPower monitors and Silver Spring Networks’ networking infrastructure, OG&E was able to respond to service requests and remotely reconnect service during outages in less than 10 seconds. Previously, the process required a field representative to drive to the location then obtain a reading and complete any maintenance work on the meter in person. 

OG&E's SmartPower project also empowers customers to better manage their energy consumption by helping them view information about pricing and energy demand in real time, through the Greenbox energy management portal. By partnering with Silver Spring Networks and Greenbox Technology, OG&E allowed customers in the pilot to monitor their minute-by-minute energy usage and adjust habits accordingly.

Silver Spring Networks' IP-based Smart Grid, known as the Smart Energy Network, enables a more efficient, reliable grid that could cut the growth-rate of worldwide energy consumption by more than half over the next 15 years, drastically reduce carbon emissions and enable utility providers globally to realize additional operational and environmental benefits in the future. Silver Spring Networks supports a full-range of smart grid applications, including the advanced metering and home networking applications implemented in the OG&E project.

"Silver Spring Networks’ advanced networking technology is the foundation for OG&E's efforts to respond quickly to service calls and to give customers the option to monitor and reduce their energy use,” said Scott Lang, President and CEO of the company. “The real-time connection between OG&E and the customer enables an immediate exchange of information which has demonstrated value to the utility and the consumer." 

Consumer response to the OG&E Positive Energy® SmartPower project has been overwhelmingly positive. Participating residents said they gained flexibility and control over their household's energy consumption by monitoring their usage on in-home touch screen information panels. In fact, results of the pilot project appear promising enough that OG&E intends to present a plan for expanded deployment to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for their consideration.

"It's the three A's: Awareness, Attitude and Action," said pilot program participant John Wyckoff. "It increased our awareness. It changed our attitude about when we should be using electricity. It made us take action." 

"We approached this project by asking ourselves, ‘what can we do to help our customers during this time of rising fuel costs and an aging infrastructure?’ This pilot project empowered our customers to control the cost of their utility bill by monitoring and adjusting their usage in real time,” said Craig Johnston, OG&E Vice President of Strategy and Marketing. “We are extremely pleased with the results.  We will present a plan to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for a larger project that will help determine how our customers and OG&E can achieve maximum benefit from the Smart Grid.”

About Silver Spring Networks

Silver Spring Networks creates the critical networking infrastructure for the Smart Grid, known as a Smart Energy Network.  Based on the Internet Protocol (IP) suite, it addresses the challenges of running multiple applications and devices on a common networking infrastructure using multiple transport technologies, dramatically improving efficiency, lowering costs and ensuring the reliable delivery of services. This smarter, more efficient grid could cut the growth rate of worldwide energy consumption by more than half over the next 15 years and drastically reduce carbon emissions.  Silver Spring Networks was named a Technology Pioneer at the 2008 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was named to the 2008 Red Herring 100, 2008 Global 250 and was a recipient of the GoingGreen and Brilliant Innovation Awards in 2007.  For additional information, visit www.silverspringnetworks.com.

About OG&E Electric Services

OG&E is Oklahoma's largest utility serving more than 765,000 customers in a service area spanning 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas. OG&E is a subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE), which also is the parent company of Enogex LLC, a midstream natural gas pipeline business with principle operations in Oklahoma.

Media Contact:
Silver Spring Networks
Lisa Magnuson
lisamag@silverspringnet.com
415-531-9199

Blue Practice
Alisa Weinstein
alisa@bluepractice.com
415-308-5338

OGE Energy Corp.
Gil Broyles
broylecg@oge.com
405-553-3646