News Release
12.19.05 TXU and CURRENT Communications to Create Nation's First Multipurpose Smart Grid
Broadband Over Power Line Network to Be Available to Serve Approximately Two Million Texas Homes and Businesses TXU Electric Delivery, the nation’s sixth largest electric transmission and distribution company and a subsidiary of TXU Corp. (NYSE: TXU), and CURRENT Communications Group, LLC, the nation’s leading provider of broadband over power line (BPL) solutions, today announced an agreement to transform TXU Electric Delivery’s power distribution network into the nation’s first broadband-enabled Smart Grid. CURRENT will design, build and operate the BPL network covering the majority of the TXU Electric Delivery service area, including approximately two million homes and businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and other Overlaid on the existing electric distribution network, the CURRENT™ BPL network solution incorporates advanced digital communication and computing capabilities that, for the first time, provide real-time monitoring through the electric distribution network, enabling TXU Electric Delivery to:
Additionally, CURRENT will leverage the same BPL network to provide homes and businesses high-performance broadband and wireless services, including the “triple play” of voice, video and high-speed Internet access delivered over existing electrical lines by simply plugging into any home outlet. Under the terms of the agreement with CURRENT, TXU Electric Delivery will procure services over 10 years for approximately $150 million to utilize the Smart Grid capabilities of CURRENT’s BPL network. The cost of the service agreement does not materially affect TXU Corp.’s previously disclosed financial outlook. When the agreements become effective, TXU Corp. will become an equity holder in CURRENT. Existing CURRENT shareholders include Cinergy Corporation (NYSE:CIN), EnerTech Capital, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Google Inc., The Hearst Corporation, and Liberty Associated Partners, LP, of which Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE:L) is a significant limited partner. “CURRENT’s BPL solution is a critical enabler of our mission to dramatically improve the way we deliver electricity,” said Tom Baker, TXU Electric Delivery chairman and CEO. “BPL will enable us to respond more quickly and efficiently to outages of all magnitudes, manage our distribution network more proactively and further safeguard our dispersed critical assets in today’s heightened security environment.” “We are immensely pleased to be working with an industry leader such as TXU. This agreement is a milestone for CURRENT as well as for BPL and illustrates the economic advantages of driving multiple applications across a single large scale network deployment,” said William H. Berkman, chairman and co-founder of CURRENT Communications Group and managing partner of Liberty Associated Partners. “Today’s announcement is solid evidence of how BPL answers the federal government’s recent call to create a more efficient and reliable 21st century electricity distribution network.” TXU Electric Delivery and CURRENT expect to begin deploying the BPL network in 2006. Black River Capital LLC acted as an advisor to TXU Electric Delivery in this transaction. About TXU Corp. TXU Corp., a Dallas-based energy company, manages a portfolio of competitive and regulated energy businesses primarily in About CURRENT Communications Group CURRENT Communications Group, LLC, a privately-held company based in This release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that TXU Electric Delivery will be able to obtain the benefits that it expects from the deployment of the BPL network. The forward-looking statements in this release could be affected by a number of factors, including: the ability of CURRENT to attract sufficient equity investors and obtain the financing in a timely manner; construction and operational issues relating to a large scale rollout of the BPL network that have not been anticipated; changes in technology that impact the viability of BPL technologies employed by CURRENT; changes in laws and regulations; the relative costs of services provided by alternate utility and retail broadband competitors, and additional costs that could be incurred by TXU Electric Delivery in the event that the BPL network is not deployed or does not operate in the manner currently anticipated . Additional Document(s): Click here for more information about this ground-breaking partnership. Media Chris Schein 214-875-8329 Investor Relations Tim Hogan 214-812-4641 Bill Huber 214-812-2480 Steve Oakley 214-812-2220 Back to the News Releases Index TXU Energy (REP Certificate No. 10004) and Luminant are not the same company as Oncor Electric Delivery and are
not regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and you do not have to buy TXU Energy's or Luminant's products to continue to
receive quality regulated services from Oncor Electric Delivery.
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| TXU Energy (REP Certificate No. 10004) and Luminant are not the same company as Oncor Electric Delivery and are not regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and you do not have to buy TXU Energy's or Luminant's products to continue to receive quality regulated services from Oncor Electric Delivery. | ||||