EnergyChoiceMatters.com

Pennsylvania Orders Implementation of Retail Suppliers' Preferred Method of Smart Meter Data Access, But Not Immediately

September 4, 2015

Email This Story
Copyright 2010-15 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Karen Abbott • kabbott@energychoicematters.com

The Pennsylvania PUC issued a final order concerning electric distribution company (EDC) development of a standardized solution for the acquisition of historical interval usage (HIU) and billing quality interval use (BQIU) data by electric generation suppliers via a secure web portal

The PUC ordered that:

(1) Within 12 months, EDCs with smart meter requirements shall implement the Single User – Multiple Requests (SU-MR) option

(2) Within 14 months, EDCs with smart meter requirements shall implement System-to-System (StS) functionality (the mechanism preferred the retail suppliers)

(3) The Electronic Data Exchange Working Group (EDEWG) shall reconvene the Web Portal Working Group (WPWG) in order to develop (but not implement) standards for a uniform StS functionality. The WPWG must submit to the Commission, for its review and approval, its recommendations within six months. The Commission will then provide further direction to the EDCs regarding the implementation of the StS functionality, as well as the potential recovery of costs.

Regarding the StS option, the PUC agrees with the EDCs that the privacy and security protections related to the StS solution require further development. Furthermore, the Commission requires that a single, uniform StS solution be developed and implemented across all EDCs with smart meter requirements.

The PUC said that, when considering an StS option, any solution should be designed to scale efficiently with the volume of information from any increases in the number of smart meters or any additional deployments, such as the Batch CSV file solution provided in the framework previously developed by the working group. Also, the file layouts from the SU-MR solution must be uniform with the outputs from the StS solution. Finally, access standards and confidentiality of customer information must be established. The Commission will review the WPWG’s submission and provide a final order outlining the directives regarding the StS functionality and EDC submission of appropriate compliance plans

The varying portal mechanisms are defined below:

Single User - Single Request (SU-SR). A user-based platform allowing for an authorized user to manually log into the portal, request, and receive data for one individual account at a time via the portal’s user interface. The results could be rendered within the web portal interface itself or exported to the user in a predefined file format.

Single User - Multiple Requests (SU-MR). Similar to SU-SR, except that the authorized user logging into the portal may submit and receive data for more than one account number as part of a single request.

System-to-System (StS) – Initially conceived as a platform allowing an authorized user’s information technology (IT) systems to communicate directly with the web portal system of the EDC without requiring a user to manually log into the web portal itself and leverage the user interface. For instance, this could involve the use of File Transfer Protocol, aka FTP, or web services to transmit and satisfy requests.

The PUC stressed that the portals are designed for licensed electric generation suppliers (which includes brokers) and for Act 129 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program conservation service providers contracted with the EDC

"[W]e agree that unlicensed third parties, as well as other consumers, should not be granted access to the web portals, except as an agent of a licensed EGS or as an Act 129 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program CSP contracted with the EDC and as specified in Section 2.1 of the [working group] Framework. 52 Pa. Code § 54.8 of the Commission’s regulations provides standards, to be followed by both EGSs and EDCs, regarding the confidentiality of customer information. Additionally, 52 Pa. Code § 54.43(d) requires EGSs to keep their customers’ information confidential, including, but not limited to, load and billing information. While we are providing for the ability of an EGS and/or a CSP to obtain customer usage information through the SU-MR and StS functionalities, we emphasize that this Commission maintains a zero tolerance policy regarding customer information and confidentiality. We remind both EGSs and EDCs that they will be held responsible for any misuse of customer information by both their own representatives, as well as by third party representatives, such as Act 129 CSPs, with which the EDCs and EGSs may have entered into a contract or otherwise established an agency relationship," the PUC said.

"We acknowledge that there may be concerns regarding data access for CSPs and similarly situated third parties. However, third parties can still access customer data through the customer portals and/or their own equipment, so long as they have obtained customer permission. Also, third parties can access the web portals as contractors under a licensed EGS. However, EGSs must not give data to contracted third parties without the customer’s consent. Additionally, should an instance occur in which a contractor misuses a customer’s data, this Commission will hold the EGS with which that contractor was affiliated to be the responsible party," the PUC said.

The PUC said that it is premature to address cost recovery at this time. Instead, the PUC will address cost recovery and its mechanism(s) following the submission of the WPWG’s recommendations

M-2009-2092655

Email This Story

HOME

Copyright 2010-15 Energy Choice Matters. If you wish to share this story, please email or post the website link; unauthorized copying, retransmission, or republication prohibited.

Archive

Daily Email

Events

About/Contact

Search