The smart electricity metering market in North America is entering a phase of sustained yet moderate growth, with Berg Insight forecasting the installed base to expand from 152.4 million in 2024 to 180.9 million by 2030 — a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.9 percent.
While the U.S. accounted for 136.9 million meters and Canada 15.5 million in 2024, Canada currently leads in penetration rate, though this gap is projected to narrow. By 2030, penetration is expected to reach 97 percent in Canada and 91 percent in the U.S., supported largely by new utility deployments and second-wave rollouts in early-adopting states.
North America has long been a pioneer in smart metering, with AMR deployments beginning in the 1980s. Today, the market is mature, characterized by broad integration with smart grid infrastructure. Penetration in 2024 stood at 82 percent, and most large investor-owned utilities (IOUs) are either fully deployed or in active planning or implementation phases. The second wave of deployments is emerging as older systems reach end-of-life or require modernization, contributing to nearly 75 percent of annual shipment volumes by 2030.
Key Market Players and Share
The competitive landscape is led by U.S.-based Itron and Aclara, along with Swiss-based Landis+Gyr. As of 2024:
Itron holds 35 percent of the installed base and dominates network endpoints with a 64 percent share.
Landis+Gyr follows with a 32 percent meter share and 25 percent in endpoints.
Aclara holds a 21 percent share of the installed base.
The remaining 12 percent is divided among companies like Honeywell and Sensus, with Sensus controlling around 8 percent of network endpoints.
Technology Adoption and Platform Strategies
The North American market favors wireless RF technologies due to grid topologies with low meter-to-substation ratios, which make PLC (power line communication) less effective. Most deployments leverage RF mesh or star topologies in the unlicensed 915 MHz ISM band. Wi-SUN-based mesh networks, supported by Landis+Gyr and Itron, are the most widely adopted due to their scalability and efficiency.
Cellular technologies have traditionally seen limited uptake due to cost and concerns over network longevity. However, the landscape is shifting as utilities explore private cellular networks to overcome previous barriers and enable longer-term stability. While historical cellular deployments are minimal (under 5 million meters), interest is rising, especially in use cases requiring robust and secure data links.
Strategic Directions and Ecosystem Expansion
Utilities are increasingly looking to leverage existing RF networks for broader smart grid applications beyond metering. These include:
Distribution automation
Integration of distributed energy resources (DERs)
Support for EV charging infrastructure
Smart street lighting
Vendors are aligning with these trends by enhancing platform capabilities to accommodate multi-application ecosystems. This strategic evolution reflects a growing need for grid-wide data visibility, operational efficiency, and energy resilience.
While growth in the North American smart electricity metering market is steady rather than explosive, it is being underpinned by second-wave rollouts, private network innovation, and broader integration into intelligent energy ecosystems — shaping vendor strategies and technology investments well into the next decade.
GreentechLead.com News Desk