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Retail Choice State Issues Proposed Rules For Third-Party Access To Customer Interval Data; Would Require Written LOA, Registration With PSC

July 5, 2017

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Copyright 2010-17 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

A Maryland working group has filed proposed regulations to govern the access to customer interval meter data by third-party providers (PC 44)

Under the draft regulations, third parties, including energy consultants and curtailment service providers, must obtain a Letter of Authorization from the customer to gain access to that customer’s Historical Interval Usage or Interval Usage data.

Letter of Authorization would be specifically defined as meaning the affirmative "written" consent of a customer to obtain access to the customer’s data, "represented in writing or in electronic format."

The Letter of Authorization must be retained for at least three years from the date of its expiration, under the draft

An "energy consultant" (any entity other than a supplier or curtailment service provider) that wishes to access a customer’s Historical Interval Usage or Interval data shall first successfully complete registration with the PSC through submission of information required by the Commission, on a form provided by the Commission.

In contrast, the proposal provides that a customer’s energy supplier may obtain customer authorization to access that customer’s Historical Interval Usage and Interval Usage data through their contract and/or enrollment authorization without a separate Letter of Authorization, pursuant to the utility’s supplier coordination tariff and COMAR 20.53.03, COMAR 20.53.07.02, COMAR 20.59.03, and COMAR 20.59.07.02, as applicable.

Regarding access to data and the types of data available, the draft provides that a Utility shall maintain a standardized electronic process(s) to provide a supplier that has obtained a customer’s consent electronic access to that customer’s interval usage data via a batch, comma-separated value file, spreadsheet or other electronic format that includes at a minimum, a rolling ten days’ worth of interval usage data and is refreshed daily. The interval usage data shall be made available within 48 hours after the customer’s daily meter read.

Additionally, the draft provides that a utility shall also:

1) maintain an Electronic Interface to allow a customer to select a Supplier, Curtailment Services Provider, or a Energy Consultant to receive the customer’s Historical Interval Usage and Interval Usage data for a designated purpose and specified period; [and/or]

2) provide an Electronic Interface to allow a Supplier, Curtailment Services Provider, or a Energy Consultant access to a customer’s Historical Interval Usage and Interval Usage data, or other data specified by regulation, for a designated purpose and specified period of time, if the Supplier or Curtailment Service Provider, or Energy Consultant, warrants that it has properly obtained the customer’s Letter of Authorization.

A utility shall maintain and make available at least 24 months of Historical Interval Usage data for customers with meters enabled by advanced metering infrastructure, the draft provides

A utility shall establish a simple, automated process for a Supplier, Curtailment Service Provider, or Energy Consultant to apply to the Utility to receive data from the Electronic Interface, the draft provides

The draft provides that, at a minimum, a utility shall make the following data available in the Electronic Interface for its electric service customers:

1) service point ID;

2) account number or Electric or Gas Choice ID;

3) time stamp for each meter reading;

4) an identifier of the quality of the data (estimated, billable, etc.);

5) Interval usage as registered by the meter;

6) Peak Load Contribution (Capacity and Transmission);

7) Rate code (residential, small commercial, etc.); and

8) Historic Interval Data used for billing purposes.

The draft provides that, at a minimum, a utility shall make the following data available in the Electronic Interface for its gas service customers

1) service point ID;

2) account number or Choice ID;

3) time stamp for each meter reading;

4) an identifier of the quality of the data (estimated, billable, etc.);

5) Interval usage for each hour;

6) Rate code (residential, small commercial, etc.); and

7) Historic Interval Data used for billing purposes.

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