Illinois to Review Third Party Access to Smart Meter Data

The Illinois Commerce Commission has opened a proceeding to address access to electric customer usage data under various scenarios, especially due to statutory language concerning the privacy of customer data in AMI pilots.

Specifically, the proceeding will address:

A) Release of aggregated, anonymous customer usage information

B) Release of individual and specific information, including:

1. Identification of Peak Time Rebate and net metering customers

2. Retail electric supplier (RES) access to its customers' interval data for non-billing purposes

Because of the need to resolve these issues in an expedited fashion, the Commission intends to issue a Final Order in this docket by February 1, 2014.

Specifically, Section 16-108.6(d) of the Public Utilities Act provides in part that a participating utility’s AMI Plan is to secure the privacy of the customer’s personal information. Section 16-108.6(d) describes "personal information" as "the customer's name, address, telephone number, and other personally identifying information, as well as information about the customer’s electric usage" and requires electric utilities to secure the privacy of "personal information" as part of their Smart Grid Advanced Metering Infrastructure Deployment Plan. Section 16-108.6(d) prohibits the disclosure of such information by utilities for commercial purposes, except where authorized.

In contrast, Section 16-122 states that upon the request of a retail customer, or a person who presents verifiable authorization and is acting as the customer's agent, and payment of a reasonable fee, electric utilities shall provide to the customer or its authorized agent the customer's billing and usage data.

Given these statutes, Staff noted that, with respect to retail supplier access to customers' interval data for non-billing purposes, some parties have described a scenario where a supplier has an existing retail customer with an AMI meter who is receiving service on a traditional, non-time variant basis. The question has been asked whether the supplier would need to receive additional customer authorization in order for the supplier to have access to the interval usage data for that customer. Accordingly, a related issue is whether the utility should be required to demand proof of individual customer authorization prior to releasing the interval usage data of RES customers for non-billing purposes.

Retail suppliers have also been interested in aggregated, anonymous customer usage information with respect to ComEd's peak time rebate program, as suppliers evaluate the offering of new products and services enabled by AMI (e.g., time variant supply rate offerings).

Docket 13-0506