(Natural News) The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) recently approved the deployment of roughly 1.1 million smart meters. It was part of a $776 million grid transformation plan by Dominion Energy Virginia.

According to the plan, the deployment of the smart meter, which can track energy usage or power outage remotely  thus eliminating the need for meter readers, will cost $198.3 million. It also comes with a $203.9 million budget for a customer information platform. The spending highlights the second part of Dominion's 10-year plan to add more renewable energy and increase energy efficiency in the state.

"As we bring more renewable energy onto our grid to build a cleaner future, and focus on increasing resiliency, we must modernize the way the system works," Charlene Whitfield, senior vice president of Power Delivery at Dominion Energy Virginia, said in a statement. Whitfield added that the decision "ensures that we can remain agile as a company to deliver the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that our customers want and expect."