Privacy by Design and Third Party Access to Customer Energy Usage Data

A new white paper is available today, “Privacy by Design and Third Party Access to Customer Energy Usage Data”. Written by Ontario, Canada’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, and Jules Polonetsky, Co-Chair, of the Future of Privacy Forum, the paper addresses best practices for third party access to customer energy usage data.

Paper Summary: The increased availability of customer energy usage data (CEUD) is one of the numerous benefits of Smart Grid improvements. CEUD allows for more efficient power use by utilities and customers to better deal with spikes in demand. Utilities can avoid having to use expensive “peaker plants” which kick in when energy demands exceed normal levels of supply. And with greater access to information about their own CEUD, customers can make more informed choices about when and how much electricity to use. The paper explores the issue of third party access to CEUD and its benefits, as well as the potential privacy risks. It examines the potential new products and services created by third party access which may support conservation and new market opportunities.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario’s News Release is available here (pdf).