NorthWestern Energy Selects Lockheed Martin's SEEsuite Smart Grid Command and Control Solution

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- NorthWestern Energy (NYSE: NWE) has selected Lockheed Martin's (NYSE: LMT) SEEsuite Smart Grid Command and Control™ platform to provide demand response management and integrated situational awareness for the utility's Smart Grid Demonstration Grant Project.

NorthWestern Energy is a participant in the $178 million Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project.  The effort, involving more than 60,000 customers in five states, will test new combinations of devices, software and advanced analytical tools to enhance the grid's reliability and performance.  NorthWestern Energy's role is to evaluate the effectiveness of feeder automation, demand response and dynamic customer pricing.  

SEEsuite combines Lockheed Martin's expertise in systems-of-systems integration, service oriented architectures, cyber security and mission-critical systems development with utility-specific functionality.  NorthWestern Energy will deploy two SEEsuite applications including SEEload™ for demand response management and SEEgrid™ for smart grid situational awareness.

"We are pleased to partner with NorthWestern Energy on this important and exciting smart grid project," said Gerry Fasano, president of Lockheed Martin's Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense.  "SEEload will enable NorthWestern Energy to shed load dynamically across residential and commercial customers, and SEEgrid will provide real-time, multi-system situational awareness and automated reporting to streamline operations."

"The partnership with Lockheed Martin was a good fit for NorthWestern Energy," said Jeanne Vold, Lead Director Business Technology for NorthWestern Energy.  "They are a recognized leader of innovative solutions, and the SEEload and SEEgrid applications will be key in achieving our objectives for the project."

SEEload enables utilities and grid operators to precisely manage demand response events across an entire distribution network, including individual substations and feeders. The application also provides complete demand response life cycle management, including program definition and customer enrollment, real-time event management, and post-event analytics.  

SEEgrid integrates key operational and business systems to provide near real time enterprise situational awareness.  The application enables decision makers to sense and respond quickly to changing market conditions, grid disturbances, and unplanned changes to operations.  

NorthWestern Energy is one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 661,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

Lockheed Martin is working with its customers to address the nation's challenges in the areas of energy efficiency, management, next-generation alternative energy generation and environment and climate monitoring.  The Corporation provides a full range of energy solutions to the government and regulated industry, including the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, state and regional energy organizations, utilities and businesses.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2009 sales of $44.5 billion.

For additional information please visit www.lockheedmartin.com/energysolutions

For additional information please visit www.northwesternenergy.com

SOURCE Lockheed Martin