E-Access Act Introduced to Help Consumers Access and Share Data

E-Access Act Introduced to Help Consumers Access and Share their Utility Data with Third Parties; Facilitate Clean Energy Transition

Several U.S. states have energy data-access policies in place or are currently in process of developing such legislation and guidelines.  Federally, on 13 June, Senators Peter Welch (VT) and Chris Van Hollen (MD) introduced the E-Access Act [.pdf]: legislation that will help consumers access their energy and natural gas data, will allow for the development and adoption of innovative products and services to manage their energy usage, and supports a competitive environment for digital energy-management tools. 

Provisions of the E-Access Act were included in the Inflation Reduction Act through the HOPE for HOMES program but enforcement guidelines weren't specified.  The E-Access Act, if passed, would have the U.S. Department of Energy establish utility data-sharing guidelines and require states to create their own rules based on the federal guidelines.  The data-sharing rules would allow consumers to access and share their utility data with third parties, including energy-efficiency contractors.

Guidelines called for in the E-Access Act include specifying that electric and gas utilities shall provide certification of adherence to the latest Green Button Connect My Data^® standard on a periodic interval, that Green Button Connect My Data system availability exceeds 99%, and that electric-meter app stores shall have terms that are fair and non-discriminatory to any user, among other guidelines.

UPDATED:  The S.1936 Senate Bill is now available on the congress.gov website.