Data Access
Utilities have access to vast amounts of data on their customers’ energy use and behaviors. Making this data accessible to customers can help them achieve savings by better managing energy use in homes, large buildings, and entire communities. To facilitate the disclosure of this data states can develop guidelines or regulations that require utilities to send the data directly to customers or even to third parties with customer permission. Otherwise, customers may acquire the data and share it with the third party themselves.
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Alabama does not have policies in place that require third party access to customer energy use data.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Use Data
No policies are in place that require the provision of energy use data.
Energy Use Data Availability
Alabama Power Company offers customers access to electronic data. My Power Usage gives residential customers an in-depth look into their energy consumption by allowing secure access to the amount of energy they use on a daily and monthly basis. It features email notifications to customers when their bills reach a designated dollar amount, along with energy efficiency tips to help save on monthly power bills. EnergyDirect is an online energy management tool for business class customers that displays energy usage and costs for monthly, daily, and interval data.
Last Updated: June 2017
There is no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: June 2016
Arizona has no policy in place that requires the release of energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: September 2016
Arkansas has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
In May 2014, the Commission approved Decision (D.) 14-05-016, adopting rules to provide eligible third-party access to energy usage and usage-related data within IOU territories. The decision directed the CA IOUs to establish the Energy Data Request and Release Process (EDRP), which is underway, as well as an Energy Data Access Committee comprised of relevant stakeholders to serve as an informal advisory body.
Data to third parties are transmitted via utilities’ Green Button Connect platforms. Depending on the use case, data may be transmitted in various levels of aggregation via FTP sites, CSV download, or in other formats as requested by parties.
Eligibility to receive aggregated energy usage data is restricted to academic researchers, local government departments, and their consultants, State Agencies. Use cases involving requests for commercial purposes, including market research for commercial energy services, are not eligible. Eligibility for accessing aggregated customer energy usage data is based on the use cases of the requesting party, which are detailed in D.14-05-016. The EDRP process includes utility requirements for verifying requesting parties, who are also required to sign an NDA with the utility or adhere to the utility’s Terms and Conditions.
For third party access to customer-specific data, utilities require third parties to register with their Green Button Connect platform, and third party users are required to complete an IT test prior to connecting to utility data. Third party data access requires certain IT specifications, such as security and assurance that the third party system can provide the SSL certificate to connect to a utility’s data system.
Data requests and responses are made using secure HTTPS protocol and are authenticated via a two-way certificate exchange with the utility. Requesters need to implement security certificates for secure inbound and outbound API communication.
California investor-owned utilities do not charge a fee for providing data. Costs incurred by utilities for data management and request fulfilment are tracked in a balancing account and funded through general rate cases.
Data provided via Green Button Connect platforms contain both usage and billing information for 12 months of customer usage, either hourly or at 15-minute intervals.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Use Data
Decision (D.) 14-05-016 creates a process whereby entities can request energy usage and usage-related data from utilities and receive action on the request and resolution of disputes over access to data.
AB 1103 (Cal. Pub. Res. Code 25402.10(b)) requires utilities to deliver Whole Building Usage Information (WBUI) to building owners for nonresidential buildings covered by the Act “in a manner that preserves the confidentiality of the customer.” Currently, WBUI provision has been interpreted by the IOUs to exclude buildings with fewer than 15 tenants. Building owners must still acquire permission from tenants to access whole building information via Green Button Connect.
D.13-09-025 authorizes the provision of customer energy data to third parties upon customer request via Customer Data Access or Green Button Connect.
D. 14-05-016 also directs utilities, after informing the Commission, to provide energy data to state and federal government entities that need data to fulfill statutory obligations and request such data pursuant to this decision.
Pursuant to California’s landmark legislation, AB802, every utility in California is required, as of January 1, 2017, to provide a year's worth of monthly energy consumption for an entire building to an owner (or owner's agent) upon request, provided that building consists of three or more commercial utility accounts or five or more accounts, if any are residential. A utility has four weeks to respond to a request and provide the information directly to the owner or upload it to the owner's Energy Star Portfolio Manager account. Portfolio Manager is an EPA created online tool that enables owners to benchmark their properties in a secure online environment.
Energy Use Data Availability
The data request and release process enables IOUs to grant requests for aggregated usage data by university researchers, state and federal agencies, and local governments.
The CPUC has directed each investor-owned utility to maintain a data request portal on their websites where Energy Data Request Process details for aggregated data can be found. D.14-05-016 describes the EDRP requirements for each use case, but all are bound by either NDA or Terms and Conditions to receive data. Formats vary depending on user preference. The utilities are required to notify the Executive Director four weeks prior to delivery of any new data sets to requesting parties. The utilities must also file quarterly advice letters with updates to the “data catalogs” that each utility is required to maintain. This information is detailed on the utility websites, which can be located from this web page: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/General.aspx?id=10151.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Guidelines for Third Party Access
In decision R15-0406 from 2015, the Commission modernized its rules for utilities to provide customer information (including energy use) to third parties with customer consent. A 2-page standardized consent form was authorized, and 4 CCR 723-3 Section 3027(d) was modified to read: “As part of basic utility service, a utility shall provide to the customer’s standard customer data in electronic machine-readable form, without additional charge, to the customer or to any third party recipient to whom the customer has authorized disclosure of the customer’s customer data. Such access shall conform to nationally-recognized open standards and best practices.”
Requirements for Provision of Energy Use Data
No policies are in place that require the provision of energy use data.
Energy Use Data Availability
The state does not have an online standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last Updated: July 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Under Gen. Stats. §16-245o(d) and Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies § 16-244h-4, energy use data will be released to third parties only after written approval of the customer.
Provision of Energy Use Data
Per Public Act No. 11-80, Sec. 125 & 126, each electric distribution, electric, and gas company shall make records of the energy consumption data of all non-residential buildings, as well as aggregate town customer usage information and make available to the public, while preserving the confidentiality of individual customers.
Energy Use Data Availability
Connecticut’s Energy Efficiency Dashboard was developed in 2013 as an online resource that provides users with “real-time” data (updated monthly) regarding the state’s energy efficiency programs, their performance, and metrics. The purpose of the of the Dashboard is to provide regulators, legislators, advisors, and the general public a snapshot report regarding how well Connecticut’s energy efficiency programs are operating. Additionally in 2013, Connecticut created a Clean Energy Communities Dashboard that tracks the energy consumption (electric and natural gas only) of households and businesses in all of Connecticut’s 169 towns and cities. The individual town pages also detail the participation of Connecticut’s households and businesses in energy efficiency programs, as well as Residential Rebates redeemed.
The design and implementation of digital Customer Engagement Platforms were completed by both Eversource, United Illuminating, Connecticut Natural Gas, and Southern Connecticut Gas during the 2016-2018 Conservation & Load Management Plan. Each of the utilities’ customer engagement platforms allow customers to utilize the US Department of Energy’s Green Button to download their electric usage data. Additionally, customers can manually input other fuel type data to calculate their entire energy usage data. This energy data is compiled by the utilities to provide targeted energy-saving opportunities and give insightful, personalized recommendations to customers.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Delaware has no policy in place that requires the release of energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last reviewed: July 2019
For customers to access their own electricity data, or share that data with others, Pepco makes use of the Green Button data sharing platform. Residential customers can download a spreadsheet or XML file of their 15-minute-interval electricity data (“Green Button Download my Data”), and commercial customers can access a next-day Application Programming Interface (API) feed of their 15-minute interval consumption data at Green Button Connect My Data.
Guidelines for Third Party Access
DC has benchmarking laws and regulations that allows for third party access to aggregated customer use data. All publicly owned buildings over 10,000 SF and all commercial and multi-family buildings over 50,000 SF must report their monthly consumption data. This information is available to the public on BuildsmartDC.com.
Third parties may gain access to 15-minute interval data in Green Button formats with customer consent. Third-parties with a need to access many accounts, such as DC Sustainable Energy Utility, can get an online portal that allows them to view all the accounts to which they have been granted access. Washington gas does not have interval meters, but allows third parties to electronically access and download monthly utility data with customer consent via Utility portal.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Use Data
Aggregated benchmarked data that have been screened for privacy and security concerns are available to the public in CSV format online. The District of Columbia mandated, in the Sustainable DC Act of 2014, that both electric and gas utilities provide aggregated whole-building data upon request to a building owner, and also provide automated benchmarking services to upload that data to ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. Aggregated whole building data does not require customer consent when 5 or more meters are being aggregated. DOEE provides detailed guidance for customers accessing aggregated whole building data.
Pepco provides automated upload of whole building electricity data to Portfolio Manager, using a service called Resource Advisor. Once set up, up to two years of historical data can be uploaded, and electricity data is updated on monthly basis thereafter. Data is aggregated to the whole building level for five or more accounts, in order to protect privacy while easing the processes of benchmarking multi-tenant buildings.
The utilities provide the region with detailed electricity and natural gas consumption data by zip code.
Energy Use Data Availability
Interval meters for electric are for the most part installed throughout the District. Third parties have access to all data that has been collected since the meters were installed.
Last reviewed: July 2019
There is no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties. The Commission's website includes reports and publications created by technical staff that provide energy use and consumption data for the state and its utilities.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Data can be accessed through an agreement with the commission and Georgia Power which is determined on a case by case basis.
Georgia Power Company offers the Automated Benchmarking Tool to enable building owners and property managers to retrieve energy consumption data for upload to the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The tool will help customers aggregate building energy use data into a single virtual meter that can be used in Portfolio Manager to generate benchmark scores.
For buildings that have five or more tenants and for which no single account comprises over 50 percent of the building energy usage, energy usage data will be automatically aggregated. However, for buildings that have fewer than five tenants and for buildings where one account comprises over 50 percent of the building energy usage, customers need to download the consent form, get authorization from each of the tenants and submit the authorizations via the website. Consent forms must be reviewed and approved by Georgia Power prior to the release of aggregate building usage data.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Georgia has no requirements for the provision of energy data.
Energy Use Data Availability
The state does not have an online standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last Updated: July 2018
Hawaii has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: August 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Currently the state does not have provision(s) for the release of customer energy usage data. Individual utilities have platforms for individual customers to retrieve their own usage data and do provide third parties with individual customer usage data with customer consent. Data requirements, method of data transmission, and access is defined by utility policy upon customer consent.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Guidelines for Third Party Access
The Commission has established guidelines and regulations for alternative retail electric supplier access in Docket Nos. 13-0506 (aggregated, anonymous data), 14-0701 (access to individual data by retail electric suppliers), Docket No. 15-7003 (access to individual data by entities other than retail electric suppliers), and 14-0507 (Data Access Framework Docket). See also Section 16-122 of the Illinois Public Utilities Act.
For Green Button Connect, third parties must accept and comply with the rules and standards of the national Green Button program and the Green Button Alliance and they must be in good standing with the state in which they are incorporated.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Illinois requires the provision of individual meter energy data to customers, in a common electronic format, and to third parties upon authorization of the customer. Currently, alternative retail electric suppliers are able to access data through a secure electronic system.
Illinois does not require the provision of energy use data in aggregated form to owners of multi-tenant buildings or to public agencies.
While not required by statute or Commission Order, ComEd provides anonymous individual customer data in aggregated form through the Energy Usage Data System (EUDS), a web-based tool. It enables an electronic link to the U.S. EPA’s building energy benchmarking system known as Portfolio Manager. Another example is ComEd's Anonymous Data Service. Customer-level interval usage data is assembled for all customers (by customer delivery class) in a five digit zip code. Specific retail customer identifiers, including but not limited to name, address, and electric account number, are omitted from the assembled data.
Energy Use Data Availability
In 2017, the Commission ordered utilities to consider the Open Data Access Framework as they design new AMI-based data services.
There are no statewide standards for access to aggregated energy use data. The provision of aggregated usage data is described in Docket No. 13-0506. The Commission adopted a 15/15 Rule when a utility releases an anonymized, compiled data set of individual customer usage. It means that a utility is allowed to provide customer usage data when there are at least 15 customers (within a delivery class) within the same geographic area and a single customer’s load must not comprise more than 15% of the customer group's total load. Docket No. 13-0506, Final Order at 17.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Indiana has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: June 2017
Iowa has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Kansas has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2015
Kentucky has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: June 2016
Louisiana has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: September 2016
Guidelines for Third Party Access
In 2007, Maine's Electronic Business Transactions (EBT) Working Group prepared Standards for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in the Restructured Electric Industry, which includes procedures, electronic protocols and data formats to be used when transferring data among entities in support of retail competition. There is also ongoing Customer Data Dissemination Working Group to develop the policies and guidelines around customer AMI data. Please see here for more information.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Maine requires the provision of individual meter data to customers in an electronic format and to third parties upon authorization of the customer. Data is generally provided via spreadsheet through secure electronic transfer. Utilities cannot disclose customer information except for debt collection, credit reporting, usage reporting pursuant to state and federal law, law enforcement requests, and in response to a Commission Order. Third-party eligibility depends on whether or not the party falls into one of these exemptions. Efficiency Maine has been granted access to individual meter data through a Commission Order.
Energy Use Data Availability
Energy use data may be requested by Efficiency Maine by submitting the request to the Maine Public Utilities Commission. The Commission will issue a Protective Order that ensures the confidentiality of the data. Efficiency Maine has the authority to request this data under the Efficiency Maine Trust Act (35-A M.R.S.A. §10104(4)(A)(1)).
Last reviewed: July 2019
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Per House Bill 311, an electric or gas supplier is prohibited from disclosing energy use data unless permitted by the customer (COMAR 20.53.07.02).
Customers may grant access to their data with Green Button Connect My Data, which enables the secure transfer the data to authorized third parties, based on affirmative (opt-in) customer consent.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Maryland does not have any policies in place that require the provision of energy use data.
Energy Use Data Availability
The state does not have a standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last Updated: July 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
There has been an ongoing process to develop a statewide energy efficiency database that would potentially include customer energy use data, but there is no regulation in place to date.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
To date, there is no regulation in place for provision of meter data. The interactive program data tool at MassSaveData.com, which is administered by the PAs, includes customer energy use data by sector (residential, low income, and C&I) and separately by municipality. MassSaveData.com only presents estimated annual aggregate sales numbers. Chapter 465 of the Acts of 1980 allows residential energy audit report information to be given to tenants or subsequent purchasers. DOER is in the process of updating the regulation to systematize that process. Although provision of energy use data to customers is not required, 86% of the state's electric customers and 71% of the state's gas customers have access to Green Button data through voluntary utility participation.
In the City of Boston and the City of Cambridge, there are building disclosure ordinances, and those cities have requested that the electric and gas utilities provide multi-tenant building data in aggregated form. There are no statewide requirements.
Energy Use Data Availability
The state does not have a standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested except in the cities of Cambridge and Boston.
Last Updated: July 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
In November 2017, the MPSC updated its administrative rules pertaining to data privacy and data accessibility (R 460.101-460.169). These rules took effect in December 2017 and call for utilities to have in place data privacy procedures that assure customers that their personal information will not be distributed to third parties without a customer's knowledge or consent.
R 460.153 calls for all regulated utilities to submit a data privacy policy in the form of a tariff to the Commission. Per R 460.153 (g) the policy must provide clear instructions regarding the method by which a customer and a third party (authorized by the customer) may obtain customer usage data in a timely manner and in a readily accessible format. Order U-18485-0002 in Case No. U-18485 directs regulated utilities to comply with R 460.153 administrative rules by June 8, 2018. . The Commission’s response to the filed data privacy tariffs will be provided in this docket following the June 8 filing deadline.
As of March 2018, Michigan's two largest IOUs have already filed data privacy tariffs per earlier Commission order in Docket U-17102, but are expected to file amended data privacy tariffs in response to the new administrative rules.
Last reviewed: July 2019
There is no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Guidelines for Third Party Access
For individual meter data, the MN PUC has approved a model data release consent form to to be used by all rate regulated utilities in Docket E,G 999/CI-12-1344 PUC ORDER.
For aggregate data, a utility shall not disclose customer energy use data without the customer’s consent unless the utility has adequately protected the anonymity of the customer energy use data. Each utility shall file its aggregation and release policies with the Commission within 30 days of the order or 30 days prior to implementation. See the 2017 order in Docket E,G 999/CI-12-1344.
While utilities are not required to provide energy use data to building owners and to public agencies, several utilities do make this data available.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Minnesota does not require utilities to provide energy use data to owners of multi-tenant buildings or public agencies.
Energy Use Data Availability
Minnesota does not have a standardized system through which access to aggregated energy use data may be requested. Rate regulated utilities are required to use the approved data release consent form concerning individual meter data. This form must be signed by the customer.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Mississippi has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2018
Ameren: See Case No. EO-2018-2011 - Multifamily Low-Income Program, which calls for all eligible participants to be provided with the past 12 months of energy usage and technical assistance to enable benchmarking buildings using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager.
Building on Ameren Missouri's support of the City of St. Louis' "Building Energy Awareness" ordinance and the MEEIA 2016-18 benchmarking project, a new initiative will be started to allow customers to verify multiple electric accounts associated with a single facility and automatically upload the monthly aggregated usage data directly into the EPA ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager ("ESPM"). The first stage of this project, to be completed in 2019, is focused on (but not limited to) all single premise facilities with 4 or more electric accounts with an aggregate annual load of 48,000 kWh or greater. The objective of the second stage, to be completed in 2020, is to identify and implement a cost-effective energy tool that can effectively segment small business customers based on how effectively they use electricity. Some of the primary components will include business type, facility size, and historic electric energy usage.
KCP&L - Case No. EO-2015-0240 Case No. EO-2015-0241 - Requires, upon request to owners (or their authorized agents) of multi-tenant buildings with five or more tenants and over 50,000 square feet, provision of aggregated whole-building electricity usage data no later than January 1, 2017. Restrictions on the frequency of aggregated whole-building electricity usage data reports may be established by KCP&L/GMO. It is understood that the aggregated whole-building electricity usage data made available to owners (a) shall be used solely for benchmarking purposes and (b) shall not provide data identifiable to any specific KCP&L/GMO customer in the building.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Montana has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2018
Nebraska has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2015
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Customer energy use data is available to third parties contracted by the utilities solely for program implementation and measurement and verification.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Use Data
In Nevada there are no requirements for the provision of energy use data.
Energy Use Data Availability
The state does not have a standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last Updated: July 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Docket DR 96-150 does not require utilities to release energy use data to third parties, but it does facilitate the transfer of data by establishing an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) working group. Customer authorization for this access is required (NH Code of Adm. Rules, PUC 2003.01). With customer authorization, suppliers can access Eversource's large customers' interval via a software package called Energy Profiler Online (EPO). Other utilities provide usage data via alternative formats.
Energy Data Platform: SB 284 (2019) amended RSA chapter 378 by adding a new subdivision entitled “Multi-Use Energy Data Platform,” effective September 17, 2019. The new subdivision, consisting of RSA 378:50-:54, provides for the establishment of a statewide online energy data platform, which would allow utilities, their customers, and third parties, including the Office of the Consumer Advocate, to access and share data regarding customer energy usage. In December 2019, the NH PUC opened a docket to establish the energy data platform, and in April 2021, a settlement agreement was filed regarding the establishment of the energy data platform. In March 2022, Order No. 26,589 in Docket DE 19-197 approved the design and framework as proposed in the settlement agreement and established additional requirements for the establishment of the data platform.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
All utilities provide small businesses or residential customers with their usage data either via a request to customer service or for some utilities via a secure sign on. Utilities will also provide usage data to the owners of multi-tenant buildings and town officials upon request. New Hampshire requires the provision of energy use data to owners of multi-tenant buildings and public agencies in aggregated form.
Energy Use Data Availability
Large customers of all utilities can receive their usage data in electronic format, by request via Customer Service or their account executive.
Last reviewed: July 2022
Guidelines for Third party access
No requirements are in place, but all usage data will be provided to third party supplier through an EDI system on request.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Use Data
There are no requirements in place, but utilities have been asked to provide this information voluntarily and have done so provided that confidentiality requirements are met.
Energy Use Data Availability
The state does not have an online standardized system through which access to individual and aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last reviewed: July 2019
New Mexico has no policies in place that require utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last reviewed: November 2024
Guidelines for Third Party Access
New York does not have guidelines in place that require third party access to customer energy use data.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
One utility, Con Edison, has in place a tariff that requires the release of aggregated building level data to commercial and multifamily property owners. In some instances, data must be provided by some utilities to NYSERDA for program evaluation.
Energy Use Data Availability
New York does not have an online standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last Updated: July 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
There are no provisions in North Carolina that require utilities to release data to third parties. Transfer of data to third parties is prohibited unless the customer provides consent.
The Commission has requested the utilities to provide more information on the dissemination of customer usage data to third parties in its Order Accepting Smart Grid Technology Plans issued March 29, 2017, in Docket No. E-100 Sub 147. This information is to be included in their 2017 smart grid technology plans to be filed in the fall of 2017.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
The state does not have a policy that requires the provision of energy data. Commission Rule R8-51 requires investor-owned utilities (excludes municipal and cooperative utilities) to provide billing information upon request. Utilities may charge customers for this information if the request is made more frequently than every 12 months for the same customer and location. Utilities do have internal policies regarding the customer consent process and distribution of customer meter data. Those policies may vary.
Energy Use Data Availability
The state does not have an online standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last Updated: July 2018
North Dakota has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2017
Ohio has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: September 2016
Guidelines for Third Party Access
The Electric Usage Data Protection Act authorizes all utilities to provide third parties under contract with customer energy use data. The party shall agree in writing that it will maintain the security and confidentiality of all customer information.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Oklahoma does not have any policies in place that require the provision of energy data.
Energy Use Data Availability
Under the electric usage data protection act, utilities may provide customers with aggregated energy usage data at their request for purposes such as promoting energy assistance, conservation, environmental advocacy, research, or measuring performance.
Last Updated: July 2018
Guidelines for Third Party Access
The Electric Company Transfer of Data rule requires utilities to transfer customer energy use data to the Energy Trust of Oregon. An electric company must file and maintain a tariff with the Commission that specifies the types of proprietary customer information, along with the prices, terms, conditions, and consent procedures associated with the transfer of such information to its competitive operations, electricity service suppliers, affiliates, and aggregators.
PGE and Pacific Power make use of the Green Button data sharing platform for residential and small business customers. Also, Pacific Power provides automated energy usage data to multi-tenant building managers for use with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. PGE provides interval meter data through Schedule 320 for large commercial and industrial customers. Pacific Power has historically made interval meter data available through Schedule 271. They called this service Energy Profiler.
The only third party that regularly receives energy usage data is Energy Trust of Oregon. Energy Trust currently receives monthly data for all customers of PGE, Pacific Power, Northwest Natural, Cascade Natural Gas, and eventually Avista Natural Gas. Energy Trust is able to analyze this data for the purposes of program delivery but not general marketing. For other third parties to formally receive customer data, each individual customer must grant access via a signed release.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Electric utilities are required by the Commission to "provide access to detailed, real-time information on electricity use and costs to help customers manage use and costs and understand how to save" (UM 1460, Order 12 158 (5/8/12) at 3). To date, customer engagement is still limited. Details in how the data is provided to customers, owner of multi-tenant buildings, and public agencies are not required, but access is required.
Energy Use Data Availability
Oregon does not have an online standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last reviewed: July 2019
Guidelines for Third party access
66 Pa.C.S. § 2807(f)(3) requires those electric distribution companies with smart meter requirements to "...with customer consent, make available direct meter access and electronic access to customer meter data to third parties, including electric generation suppliers and providers of conservation and load management services." The PA Public Utility Commission is currently reviewing, through its Electronic Data Exchange Working Group, standards and functionalities for the provision of such data to third parties.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Use Data
With a September 3, 2015 Final Order in Docket No. M-2009-2092655 the Commission adopted a framework established by the Electronic Data Exchange Working Group and directed electric utilities to establish secure web portals that can be used by entities working for utilities or licensed suppliers to obtain customer meter data.
Last reviewed: November 2024
Rhode Island has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2018
South Carolina has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: November 2024
South Dakota has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: November 2024
Tennessee has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: November 2024
Guidelines for Third Party Access
All customers in Texas can access their energy usage data through the Smart Meter Texas portal or grant a third party access to analyze the data.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
PUCT rules have been established with the following requirement for the provision of energy data: "An electric utility shall provide a customer, the customer’s REP, and other entities authorized by the customer read-only access to the customer’s advanced meter data, including meter data used to calculate charges for service, historical load data, and any other proprietary customer information. The access shall be convenient and secure, and the data shall be made available no later than the day after it was created."
Energy Use Data Availability
Customers who register on Smart Meter Texas can access their individual data.
Last Updated: July 2017
RMP and Dominion offer customers electronic access to usage and billing data through the customer account interfaces on the utilities' respective websites.
In the 2019 Legislative session, HB 307 was passed which requires online data access for non-residential customer to be provided under certain circumstances.
- If available and requested by the customer, requires an electrical corporation to provide the nonresidential customer access to the customer's usage data in: 15 minute intervals; or the shortest requested interval available through existing meters; and
- Allows the electrical corporation to charge the customer the costs associated with providing the usage data to the customer.
Last reviewed: November 2024
Guidelines for Third Party Access
Act 62 of 2019 required that "on request of the owner of a multiunit building or the owner’s designated agent, each distribution company and energy efficiency utility shall aggregate monthly energy usage data in its possession for the unit holders in the building and release the aggregated data to the owner or agent."
Last reviewed: November 2024
Virginia has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2018
Washington's privacy policies for disclosure of customer energy use information are provided in WAC 480-100-153. In 2015, RCW 19.29A was amended to be consistent with WAC 480-100-153.
Last reviewed: July 2019
West Virginia has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: October 2018
Guidelines for Third party access
PSC docket 9501-GF-101 provides limited access by the Focus on Energy Administrator to customer energy use data. Each utility will give Focus the name, address, telephone number, contact person, rate class, and if available, the SIC code for each commercial or industrial customer whose energy use falls within parameters that Focus establishes. Energy use is aggregated, and each utility is only required to provide the information once per year.
Requirements for Provision of Energy Data
Wisconsin does not have any requirements in place for the provision of energy use data.
Energy Use Data Availability
There is no online standardized system through which access to individual or aggregated energy use data may be requested.
Last reviewed: November 2024
Wyoming has no policy in place that requires utilities to release energy use data to customers or third parties.
Last Updated: July 2016