Herndon, Va., March 18, 2011 — The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative has signed an agreement with Efacec Advanced Control Systems, Inc., a provider of smart grid automation and system solutions to utilities worldwide, to provide next-generation SCADA products to NRTC's rural electric cooperative members.

"NRTC's rural electric members lead the industry in deployment of advanced smart grid technologies," said NRTC Utility Solutions Vice President Ed Drew. "NRTC selected Efacec ACS because of the company's 35-year history developing and deploying advanced automation solutions for utilities. The company's SCADA platform is easy to install, flexible and representative of next-generation technology that rural electric cooperatives are demanding."

"The entire electric utility industry is looking to deploy advanced technologies to support a smart grid, including rural electric cooperatives," said Jose Barbosa, CEO of Efacec ACS. "We're pleased that through our partnership with NRTC, we can continue to help rural utilities achieve that goal and improve the efficiency and control of their systems."

In addition to the technologies now available through Efacec ACS, NRTC offers other solutions for rural utilities looking to modernize their distribution systems, including geographic information systems, advanced metering infrastructure, workforce management solutions and communications systems.