,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bafe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #bg1    
#bjad ,mr4 ,udall of ,colorado 7for     
himself and ,mr4 ,markey7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,energy and ,natural ,resources  ,a     
,,bill  ,to enhance consumer access to  
electricity information and allow for   
the adoption of innovative products and 
services to help consumers manage their 
energy usage4  #a4  ,short title  ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,access to     
,consumer ,energy ,information ,act or  
the ,e-,access ,act4  #b4  ,definition  
of ,secretary  ,in this ,act1 the term  
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,energy4  #c4  ,consumer access to      
electric energy information  7a7  ,in   
general  ,the ,secretary shall encourage
 and support the adoption of policies   
that allow electricity consumers access 
to their own electricity data4  7b7     
,eligibility for ,state energy plans    

,section #cfb7;d7 of the ,energy ,policy
 and ,conservation ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#fcbb7;d77 is amended--  7#a7 in        
paragraph 7#af71 by striking and after  
the semicolon at the end2  7#b7 by      
redesignating paragraph 7#ag7 as        
paragraph 7#ah72 and  7#c7 by inserting 
after paragraph 7#af7 the following3    
7#ag7 programs--  7,a7 to enhance       
consumer access to and understanding of 
energy usage and price information1     
including consumers' own residential and
 commercial electricity information2 and
  7,b7 to allow for the development and 
adoption of innovative products and     
services to assist consumers in managing
 energy consumption and expenditures2   
and  4  7c7  ,voluntary guidelines for  
electric consumer access  7#a7          
,definitions  ,in this subsection3  7,a7
  ,retail electric energy information   
,the term retail electric energy        
information means--  7i7 the electric   
energy consumption of an electric       
consumer over a defined time period2    

7ii7 the retail electric energy prices  
or rates applied to the electricity     
usage for the defined time period       
described in clause 7i7 for the electric
 consumer2  7iii7 the estimated cost of 
service by the consumer1 including 7if  
smart meter usage information is        
available7 the estimated cost of service
 since the last billing cycle of the    
consumer2 and  7iv7 in the case of      
nonresidential electric meters1 any     
other electrical information that the   
meter is programmed to record 7such as  
demand measured in kilowatts1 voltage1  
frequency1 current1 and power factor74  
7,b7  ,smart meter  ,the term smart     
meter means the device used by an       
electric utility that--  7i7  7,i7      
measures electric energy consumption by 
an electric consumer at the home or     
facility of the electric consumer in    
intervals of #a hour or less2 and       
7,,ii7 is capable of sending electric   
energy usage information through a      
communications network to the electric  

utility2 or  7ii7 meets the guidelines  
issued under paragraph 7#b74  7#b7      
,voluntary guidelines for electric      
consumer access  7,a7  ,in general  ,not
 later than #ahj days after the date of 
enactment of this ,act1 subject to      
subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary shall 
issue voluntary guidelines that         
establish model standards for           
implementation of retail electric energy
 information access in ,states4  7,b7   
,consultation  ,before issuing the      
voluntary guidelines1 the ,secretary    
shall--  7i7 consult with--  7,i7 ,state
 and local regulatory authorities1      
including the ,national ,association of 
,regulatory ,utility ,commissioners2    
7,,ii7 other appropriate ,federal       
agencies1 including the ,national       
,institute of ,standards and            
,technology2  7,,iii7 consumer and      
privacy advocacy groups2  7,,iv7        
utilities2  7,v7 the ,national          
,association of ,state ,energy          
,officials2 and  7,,vi7 other           

appropriate entities1 including groups  
representing commercial and residential 
building owners and groups that         
represent demand response and           
electricity data devices and services2  
and  7ii7 provide notice and opportunity
 for comment4  7,c7  ,state and local   
regulatory action  ,in issuing the      
voluntary guidelines1 the ,secretary    
shall1 to the maximum extent            
practicable1 be guided by actions taken 
by ,state and local regulatory          
authorities to ensure electric consumer 
access to retail electric energy        
information1 including actions taken    
after consideration of the standard     
established under section #aaa7;d77#ag7 
of the ,public ,utility ,regulatory     
,policies ,act of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#bfba7;d77#ag774  7,d7  ,contents  7i7  
,in general  ,the voluntary guidelines  
shall provide guidance on issues        
necessary to carry out this subsection1 
including--  7,i7 the timeliness and    
specificity of retail electric energy   

information2  7,,ii7 appropriate        
nationally recognized open standards for
 data2  7,,iii7 the protection of data  
security and electric consumer privacy1 
including consumer consent requirements2
 and  7,,iv7 issues relating to access  
of electric energy information for      
owners and managers of multitenant      
commercial and residential buildings4   
7ii7  ,inclusions  ,the voluntary       
guidelines shall include guidance that--
  7,i7 retail electric energy           
information should be made available to 
electric consumers 7and third-party     
designees of the electric consumers7 in 
the ,united ,states--  7aa7 in an       
electronic machine readable form1       
without additional charge1 in conformity
 with standards developed through a     
voluntary1 consensus-based1             
multistakeholder process2  7bb7 as      
timely as is reasonably practicable2    
7cc7 at the level of specificity that   
the data is transmitted by the meter or 
as is reasonably practicable2 and  7dd7 

in a manner that provides adequate      
protections for the security of the     
information and the privacy of the      
electric consumer2  7,,ii7 in the case  
of an electric consumer that is served  
by a smart meter that can also          
communicate energy usage information to 
a device or network of an electric      
consumer or a device or network of a    
third party authorized by the consumer1 
the feasibility should be considered of 
providing to the consumer or third-party
 designee1 at a minimum1 access to usage
 information 7not including price       
information7 of the consumer directly   
from the smart meter2  7,,iii7 retail   
electric energy information should be   
provided by the electric utility of the 
consumer or such other entity as may be 
designated by the applicable electric   
retail regulatory authority2  7,,iv7    
retail electric energy information of   
the consumer should be made available to
 the consumer through a website or other
 electronic access authorized by the    

electric consumer1 for a period of at   
least #ac months after the date on which
 the usage occurred2  7,v7 consumer     
access to data1 including data provided 
to owners and managers of commercial and
 multifamily buildings with multiple    
tenants1 should not interfere with or   
compromise the integrity1 security1 or  
privacy of the operations of a utility  
and the electric consumer2  7,,vi7      
electric energy information relating to 
usage information generated by devices  
in or on the property of the consumer   
that is transmitted to the electric     
utility should be made available to the 
electric consumer or the third-party    
agent designated by the electric        
consumer2 and  7,,vii7 the same privacy 
and security requirements applicable to 
the contracting utility should apply to 
third-party agents contracting with a   
utility to process the customer data of 
that utility4  7,e7  ,revisions  ,the   
,secretary shall periodically review    
and1 as necessary1 revise the voluntary 

guidelines to reflect changes in        
technology1 privacy needs1 and the      
market for electric energy and services4
  7d7  ,verification and implementation 
7#a7  ,in general  ,a ,state may submit 
to the ,secretary a description of the  
data sharing policies of the ,state     
relating to consumer access to electric 
energy information for certification by 
the ,secretary that the policies meet   
the voluntary guidelines issued under   
subsection 7c77#b74  7#b7  ,assistance  
,subject to the availability of funds   
under paragraph 7#c71 the ,secretary    
shall make ,federal amounts available to
 any ,state that has data sharing       
policies described in paragraph 7#a7    
that the ,secretary certifies meets the 
voluntary guidelines issued under       
subsection 7c77#b7 to assist the ,state 
in implementing section #cfb7;d77#ag7 of
 the ,energy ,policy and ,conservation  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fcbb7;d77#ag774    
7#c7  ,authorization of appropriations  
,there is authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out this subsection #aj1jjj1jjj
 for fiscal year #bjae1 to remain       
available until expended4