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Give people energy information: Climate Group’s letter to Pres. Obama

Tony Chan | April 9, 2010 | 0 Comments

The Climate Group and a list of supporting companies and NGOs have sent an open letter to President Barrack Obama, calling for the White House to initiate a strategy to provide consumers and business with energy information.

The letter, submitted in association with Google, and with the support of AT&T, Intel, HP, Nokia, APC by Schneider Electric, TIA, Verizon, and GE among others, highlighted that behavioural changes in people when they are provided with their own energy information could result in huge potential benefits for the environment.

“Government leadership on consumer access to energy information will not only help consumers save money and energy, but will unlock a new domestic market for products and services that help consumers reduce their energy use. America’s technology and utility companies will have the opportunity to innovate and compete for a share of the smart grid market, which we estimate to be worth $12.6 billion globally. It would be common sense policy that will not only save consumers 15% on their energy bills but be good for the planet, good for jobs and good for the economy,” said Amy Davidson, executive director of The Climate Group in the US.

“These savings could be substantial when added up: if all U.S. households saved 15% on their energy use by 2020, for example, the greenhouse gas savings would be equivalent to taking 35 million cars off the road and would save consumers $46 billion on their energy bills, or $360 per customer each year,” the letter said. Other information highlighted by the letter for consumers include pricing and pricing plans of their energy source, as well as information about generation sources of electricity.

“Technologies exist today that can be deployed to achieve this goal. To ensure success, we need clear rules on consumer access to information; incentives to promote the deployment of technologies, including cost recovery; programs that educate and engage both providers and energy users; and encouragement of diverse technologies. Robust privacy and security protection for consumers and their information is essential. Along with the private sector and State and local governments, the Federal government can be a leader,” the letter said.

In terms of actions, the letter called for the President’s consideration in the follow:

- Initiate a White House led effort to work in partnership with Federal agencies, States, industry and other stakeholders to determine the best strategies, programs and policies needed to meet the goal of providing consumers access to their energy information, including principles to protect consumer privacy and control of their energy data.

- Direct the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency and ask the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to add the availability of timely, useful and actionable energy information to consumers as a criterion for consideration in rule makings, grants, and other programs related to end use electricity distribution and energy efficiency. This will ensure that consumer energy information is integrated into programs as diverse as home weatherization, energy efficiency grants, appliance standards, home and commercial building programs, federal energy management, research and development funding, and regulation of energy suppliers.

- Encourage the purchase and installation of technologies, devices and methods of delivery that will help ensure timely, secure, and clear information on energy consumption is available to consumers. To that end, the group request the President to consider access to this information as part of any program aimed at improving home and building energy performance.

- Convene a White House summit to address how to empower consumers with better information and tools for managing their energy use. We would welcome the opportunity to work with the White House to host a consumer energy technology showcase that will highlight energy information and control solutions for consumers.

The letter concludes by confirming support for recent US government initiatives, such as the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, smart grid standardisation efforts by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as the DoE’s work to improve energy efficiency of buildings and homes.

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