This week, Environmental Defense Fund's Midwest Clean Energy Director, Dick Munson, blogged about our joint effort to support data access at Pennsylvania's Public Utilities Commission:
"Data access is central to customers realizing value from a utility’s investments in advanced energy measurement, and technology can further unlock the potential. But most people do not have the time to become an expert energy analyst simply to identify cost-effective efficiency opportunities. Therefore, most of us will rely on technologies, such as smart thermostats, and third parties to digest and synthesize meter data into actionable steps that increase efficiency, save money, and cut pollution."
The proceeding at PaPUC is docket number M-2009-2092655, "Submission of the Electronic Data Exchange Working Group's Web Portal Working Group's Solution Framework for Historical Interval Usage and Billing Quality Interval Use." The PaPUC has required electric distribution companies (EDCs, as the utilities are referred to in Pennsylvania) to implement data access not only for retail energy suppliers (electric generation suppliers, or EDSs), but also for other entities who have obtained customer consent.
However, the working group's report from Feb 17th, 2015 is a proposal for serving only retailers, leaving no pathway for other entities to help Pennsylvanians reduce their energy usage. EDF and Mission:data asked the PaPUC to open a separate docket covering data access to non-retail third parties.
EDF/Mission:data comments available here.