Newsletter | July 2021

Future-leaning policy makers understand that digital access to energy-usage data, and the ability to securely share and leverage those data in a variety of ways, is required to effectively manage energy consumption, integrate distributed energy resources (DERs), and meet decarbonization goals. Standards-based, Green Button energy-data access and secure data-sharing implementations — that are Certified as compliant to the standard — ensure data quality, enable secure data exchange that protects customer privacy, and assure consistent, scalable implementations. Learn more about the benefits of the Green Button Connect My Data standard. Since the GBA’s last Policy Watch update in early April, several energy-data access initiatives have moved forward:

15 April: In New York, and in support the State’s goal of a 40 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, on 11 February the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) announced its "Order Implementing an Integrated Energy Data Resource (IEDR)". The decision established a statewide, centralized platform that will collect a variety of standardized energy-related information from the State’s electric and gas utilities and other sources, as well as enable effective access to, and use of, integrated energy-customer data and energy-system data. On 15 April, the PSC announced it had adopted a "Data Access Framework" to provide uniform guidance on what is needed for access, protection, and availability of the energy-related data. Additionally, to ensure consistency among utility implementations, the Data Access Framework directs the utilities' Green Button Connect My Data platforms be certified by the Green Button Alliance as being compliant with the Connect My Data standard. Phase 1 of the IEDR implementation shall enable at least five high-priority use cases and be completed within 24-30 months. For additional details, refer to the proceeding.

15 April: In Ontario, the government announced its Spring 2021 Red Tape Reduction Package and introduced the Supporting Recovery and Competitiveness Act. The legislation proposes Ontario’s electric and natural gas utilities implement Green Button Connect My Data to provide residential and business consumers with digital access to their energy consumption data. Providing easy access to their usage data would enable consumers to better manage their consumption and save money. The Green Button Alliance will continue to assist in the education of stakeholders as legislation progresses.

05 May: In New Hampshire, through a cooperative and collaborative process, stakeholders including utilities Unitil, Eversource, and Liberty, approved a comprehensive settlement agreement that will, if approved by the PUC, establish a Statewide, Multi-use, Online Energy Data Platform. The statewide platform would enable utility customers to digitally access their standardized energy data and enable customers to authorize to share their usage data with third-parties; all while ensuring customer data privacy. The utility-specific APIs would provide data to the platform hub and share standardized data in accordance with the North American Energy Standards Board's (NAESB) Energy Service Provider Interface (ESPI) standard, commonly known as the Green Button Connect My Data standard. In addition, the platform would seek Certification by the Green Button Alliance for compliance to the standard.

15 June: In Maine, H.P. 1237 – L.D. 1666, "Resolve, to Require the Public Utilities Commission to Issue a Request for Information on a Statewide, Multiple-use Online Energy Data Platform" for both electric and gas data, was approved by the governor. The PUC’s approved request for information shall evaluate the feasibility of a platform that, among other items, consists of a common base of energy data for use in a wide range of applications and business uses; allows for sharing of individual-customer energy data and an opt-in option of data-sharing with third-parties; protects customer privacy; allows for authorized third-party access to customer energy data; and meets the requirements for Certification by the Green Button Alliance in support of the Connect My Data standard. The PUC shall submit a report on the results of the evaluation to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology by 31 January, 2022.

16 June: In Ohio, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved AES Ohio’s (formerly Dayton Power & Light) smart grid plan. Under the terms of the settlement, AES Ohio will invest $77.6 million to install smart meters — and customers will have the ability to access data about their energy usage. The decision notes the utility shall provide a Green Button Connect My Data portal to enable its customers with the ability to access data about their usage and choose to authorize the secure sharing of their data with third-parties. In addition, the platform shall be tested and Certified by the Green Button Alliance as compliant to the Green Button Connect My Data standard at the time of the portal’s release. Among other functions, the portal will provide 24 months of interval usage data, billing data, and have a 99% uptime rate.

Follow current data-access proceedings by hovering over the "Happenings" tab on the Green Button Alliance's web site.

Member Spotlight |

ClearTrace is a leading energy and carbon-accounting company, implementing digital infrastructure to create 100% accurate and verifiable energy and emissions data. Used by major clients, including JP Morgan Chase and Brookfield Renewable, ClearTrace offers advanced methods in collecting and enhancing energy-consumption and production data to deliver meaningful proof of carbon reduction. With decades of experience in energy markets, data management, and banking, the ClearTrace team equips corporations, real estate owners, renewable energy suppliers, policymakers, and investors with the tools to achieve their sustainability and financial goals.

With the public and regulators spurring organizations to elevate corporate sustainability, there is a strong need for 24/7 carbon-tracking and accounting tools to verify the legitimacy of corporate sustainability initiatives. Specifically in NYC, Local Law 97 is creating strict carbon-compliance and reporting standards. Now more than ever, it's critical that corporations and building owners are able to prove their decarbonization efforts and ensure the validity of their sustainability metrics to investors, customers, and employees.

Carbon Accounting

ClearTrace solves this by creating an immutable audit trail across the energy supply chain for their customers: large corporations, real estate owners, and renewable-energy suppliers. By using ClearTrace's carbon-accounting software, clients are equipped with a digital and immutable means of reporting, audit, and compliance by accessing their 24/7 energy data through an ongoing stream.

"Carbon-accounting technologies will bring clear, quantifiable metrics to the table and companies that do their part to reduce their emissions and use such technologies will reap the highest financial rewards and, quite frankly, embarrass the competition."

- Lincoln Payton, ClearTrace CEO.

ClearTrace connects its API to building and renewable-energy meters to get the most-accurate data on energy consumption and production; and then organizes and secures these data into unique digital records through publication to a secure blockchain. ClearTrace then layers-on additional sources of data, such as market data and grid carbon intensity, offering integrations that enable clients to create meaningful, in-depth reports on carbon mitigation. Clients can choose to go a step further as ClearTrace takes their hourly energy usage and carbon data and places them in a digital container to create verifiable carbon credits. These credits can be used for compliance and audits, investor reporting, carbon trading, and more.

ClearTrace is a proud member of the Green Button Alliance and aligns with the importance of standardized energy-usage data. ClearTrace leverages Green Button standardized data in order to simplify customer usage data-access and enable their innovative carbon tracking and 24/7 carbon-free energy solutions.

The company looks forward to working with more major corporations to help them achieve and report on their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals.

Contact ClearTrace: https://cleartrace.io/contact.

Member News |

Award-Winning GridRewards™

Program Empowers Users to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Real-Time

GBA member Logical Buildings, a leader in smart building and energy technology, unveiled the award-winning GridRewards™ program in Spring 2020 to enable utility customers to easily understand, monitor, and take control of their electricity and carbon usage in real-time — and earn cash rewards for doing so.

The free GridRewards program is now available in New York for Con Edison, Orange & Rockland, and Sustainable Westchester customers who can enroll online through simple authorization and onboarding steps and can then download the Logical Buildings’ GridRewards app to get customized energy-efficiency insights and be notified when Con Edison triggers a demand-response event. Participants can then take easy, digitally guided actions to reduce their energy use.

In January 2021, Logical Buildings’ GridRewards program was recognized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), winning the CTA’s Mark of Excellence Award for 2021 Energy Efficiency Product of the Year. Logical Buildings’ AI-driven GridRewards app, with real-time intelligence, leverages Green Button Connect to automatically and securely access smart meter data via Con Edison’s Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI). The program participants’ collective effort provides grid relief during peak usage times, which contributes to a more reliable grid and enables customers to earn cash while reducing their carbon footprint. GridRewards is available for download from the the App Store and Google Play. Follow Logical Buildings on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Green Button Connect My Data Platform in Upstate New York Now Open — Feedback Welcome!

National Grid New York has opened the beta version of its Green Button Connect My Data platform to allow third-parties to easily register on their new system. GBA member UtilityAPI developed this latest Green Button Connect My Data system. UtilityAPI is also currently helping onboard new users and managing beta testing.

Once a third-party energy-efficiency or clean-energy app provider is registered on the platform, National Grid customers in upstate New York can easily select and authorize them to securely receive their shared standardized energy billing and consumption data. You don't need an invite code to register as a third-party; just sign up. UtilityAPI welcomes any third-party feedback during this beta testing period. Click here for UtilityAPI's full list of Utility Coverage & Data Availability. Follow UtilityAPI on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Charging Ahead! London Hydro Conducts Green Button Data-Driven Electric Vehicle Charging Pilot

GBA member utility London Hydro recently collaborated with Elocity, a company focused on accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles through smart and intuitive technology, to conduct a data-driven electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot.

The pilot, launched in 2020, provided participants with Elocity’s EVPlug and a London Hydro-developed mobile app leveraging standardized Green Button energy data to help them easily monitor and manage the electricity consumption of their EV. Customer data privacy and security were ensured by integrating EVPlug with London Hydro’s Green Button Connect My Data platform.

Participants used the London Hydro mobile app to view real-time data captured by the EVPlug and, utilizing the app, were empowered with on/off control, estimated cost per charging session, expected mileage per charge for better planning, and reports on historical charging sessions. The EVPlug technology gave London Hydro a better understanding of customer charging time, behavior, the ability to see the impact of charging loads, and the role of incentives in shifting charging demand to off-peak time.

The pilot demonstrated innovation around real-time, accessible information in the EV charging space for both the customers and the utility. Follow London Hydro on LinkedIn and Twitter .

In the Headlines |

13 July: "Revel Turns to Software to Keep its e-Moped Fleet Powered without Straining NYC's Grid," TechCrunch. Logical Buildings' GridRewards featured.
06 July: "New Zealand Government Agrees to Establish a Consumer Data Right," New Zealand Government press release.
29 June: "Consumers Satisfied with Smart Home Devices, But Data Privacy Concerns Linger," Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative press release.
23 June: "'A More Sustainable and Equitable Society': Enbridge Releases 20th Annual Sustainability Report," CSRWire. Enbridge featured.
21 June: "AES Ohio Secure Green Light for $249M Smart Grid Project," Smart Energy International.
15 June: "OhmConnect Bets $100M That Free Smart Thermostats Can Prevent Summer Blackouts in California," Canary Media. OhmConnect featured.
27 May: "Essential Information About Energy Usage in the State is Elusive, and That's a Costly Problem," New Hampshire Bulletin. New Hampshire statewide energy data access platform.
25 May: "25 Years - A Story of Evolution - 2011-2015", Smart Energy International. Green Button Initiative featured in timeline of significant industry evolution markers, launch profiled in the 04/2012 issue of SEI.
19 May: "California Mayors Partner with OhmConnect to Prevent Blackouts this Summer," OhmConnect press release.
14 May: "London Hydro Customers Participate in EV Charging Pilot," Canadian AutoWorld. Green Button Connect My Data platform.
03 May: "For the Business World, Carbon is starting to Hit Where It Hurts," GreenBiz, by Lincoln Peyton, ClearTrace.
26 April: "New York Regulators Address Data Access Issues In Bid to Grow Clean Energy Development," UtilityDive. Green Button Connect My Data platform.
16 April: "Unlocking Ontario's Energy Data - Rodan Energy Welcomes Ontario's Green Button Announcement," Rodan Energy press release. Green Button Initiative.
15 April: "PSC Further Strengthens Safe and Fair Access to Data to Meet New York's Clean Energy Goals," New York State Public Service Commission press release.

Green Button Alliance Meetings |

GBA’s Upcoming All-Member Meetings &

2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The GBA’s next All-Member Call will be held via dial-in and web on Tuesday, 03 August at 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET. All members are invited to attend. Participation logistics will be emailed to GBA Members.

The GBA hosts the OpenADE Task Force technical meetings — usually following the GBA’s monthly All-Member Call. The next one-hour OpenADE Task Force meeting will be held Tuesday, 03 August at 12:00pm PT / 3:00pm ET. Visit https://openade.org for logistics.

SAVE THE DATE! The GBA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Thursday, 04 November from 1:00pm-3:00pm (EST). This meeting will be held online and is Open to the Industry. Meeting agenda and logistics will be available soon.

For a full listing of GBA meetings and events, please visit GBA's Calendar page.

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