NRECA has filed comments in response to a Department of Energy (DOE) “request for information” on how to protect consumer data even as utilities find more ways to use that data to improve their operations. The DOE issued the inquiry in response to the Federal Communication Commission’s National Broadband Plan recommendations sent to Congress in March.
In its comments, NRECA urged DOE to look to existing and generally accepted privacy principles for any federal guidelines on consumer data that might be developed. Utilities have a long record in handling consumers’ energy information and maintaining its privacy.
NRECA urged further consideration of appropriate requirements for third parties that are not the utility’s service providers. Third parties do not have an inherent right to information collected by utilities nor are they accountable to state public utility commissions, NRECA stressed.
NRECA believes decisions to balance beneficial uses of Smart Grid-enabled consumer data against legitimate consumer privacy concerns are best left at the State and local level.
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