The Obama administration has announced a series of measures to make energy information readily accessible to consumers and promote innovation in the energy sector as part of a broader effort to modernise the US electricity grid.
Google and The Climate Group along with a coalition of businesses and NGOs sent a letter to President Obama last year asking the Administration to adopt the goal of giving households and businesses access to timely, useful and actionable information on their energy use. The decision reflects those goals and, sends a clear message that putting consumers first will save energy and drive competitiveness.
The White House announcement, which called for consumers to have access to their energy information in “consumer-friendly and computer-friendly” formats, includes measures to track progress, assistance to States to implement data access policies, and proposed Department of Energy funding for supporting smart grid innovation.
Amy Davidsen, US director of The Climate Group, says, “The announcement is a milestone in the drive to provide consumers with access to their energy information. We know that this important first step has the potential not only to save consumers billions of dollars on their electricity bills, but also to drive major emissions reductions through greater efficiency.”
According to the Climate Group, a 15% reduction in electricity consumption by 2020 can save consumers $46 billion on energy bills or $360 per customer per year and it is equivalent to 35 million cars off the road. At the same time, energy information can be used by companies to unlock innovation and improve competitiveness.