Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Technologies

Procurement Summary

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office is issuing a project specific nonavailability waiver of the manufactured products domestic preference requirements of section 70914 of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. No. 117-58) as applied to one federal financial assistance award to the Iowa Economic Development Authority. This proposed limited nonavailability waiver allows the recipient/sub-recipient to purchase non-compliant Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technologies.

Description of items, products and materials or categories of such anticipated to be covered by this waiver

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office is issuing a project specific nonavailability waiver of the manufactured products domestic preference requirements of section 70914 of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. No. 117-58) as applied to one federal financial assistance award to the Iowa Economic Development Authority. This proposed limited nonavailability waiver allows the recipient/sub-recipient to purchase non-compliant Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technologies. The recipient, in conjunction with technical assistance provided by the Grid Deployment Office (GDO), conducted market research and outreach from June 2025 – September 2025 to determine if domestically sourced AMI meters would be available for their project needs. Several vendors were contacted via email, determining that there were no suitable domestic options that were suited for residential needs. DOE completed market research from September 2025 – October 2025. Drawing on responses from leading AMI suppliers to a recent market survey (regarding product content and BABA compliance) - none of the surveyed manufacturers are currently able to comply with BABA content requirements. Most of the respondents’ AMI material and equipment—meters, modules, and network devices—are built or assembled in Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Canada, with some content in the United States. Foreign manufacturers dominate the supply of critical components - printed circuit boards (PCBs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and metrology electronics - making BABA compliance unachievable for the respective U.S. meter products. The manufacturer-volunteered estimates of their respective U.S. content ranged from less than 5% up to about 15%, depending on supplier and their specific models. The most expensive components of leading U.S. AMI power meters (endpoints, resins, printed circuit boards, meter electronics and batteries), are manufactured and assembled outside of the U.S. While there was a single domestic source found producing AMI smart meters, it was determined that it is not suitable for the use case defined in this project. This industrial grade, domestic product is used most notably at grid interconnection points such as substations, transmission, and distribution interfaces.

Public comment link

Final waiver link

N/A