Protecting consumer data privacy Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released two reports. One concerned utility communications needs, and the other addressed data access and privacy. Both were related to smart grid technologies, and both were designed to implement recommendations made in the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan, released this past March. The two DOE reports reflect the information collected from two Requests for Information issued in May to a) solicit comments from electric utilities, consumer groups, and other stakeholders on ongoing federal and state efforts to protect consumer energy use data, and b) to assist the DOE in studying the present and future communications needs of electric utilities as smart grid technologies are deployed more broadly across the country. In addition, the reports also reflect two public meetings held in June, one on each topic.
For the purposes of this column, I am focusing on the second report, concerning data access and privacy. As you've read previously here in this column, Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian and her office have already weighed in on the issue with a positive-sum approach concerning data privacy, designed to be transformative in approach and able to take steps to address new issues when and if they arise. It's not a new issue. Utilities have been protecting consumer data and consumer privacy for eons. And in Ontario, as is occurring through the U.S. and Canada, utilities are working to ensure that vigilance continues to be maintained with the addition of new technology and new consumer and utility options.
