Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition Applauds New Senate Bill on Consumer Right to Access Data

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (DRSG) welcomes the introduction of new legislation in the US Senate that would empower electricity consumers to better manage their energy use and reduce their energy bills. Sponsored by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) and co-sponsored by Scott Brown (R-MA), the Electric Consumer Right to Know Act (S 1029)—or "e-KNOW"—would establish the right for electric consumers to more easily access their electric usage information—including in real time—and to benefit directly from the new information generated by the smart grid.  

"This is a very exciting bill and we applaud Senators Udall and Brown for introducing it," said Dan Delurey, President of the DRSG. "Research shows that consumers who get better information about their electricity usage become more energy efficient overall—to the tune of 5 – 15% more efficient. With e-Know in place, consumers will not be in the dark about how much they are spending or saving. Whether the goal is cutting carbon emissions or shrinking energy bills, consumers will have the power of information that they are used to getting in all other aspects of their lives and business activities."

"Many consumers want to use energy more efficiently but can't," continued Delurey, "because they don't know how much they are actually using. When the bill arrives at the end of the month it's too late to turn off lights or ease-up the air conditioning at the beginning of the month."

The e-Know bill also would give consumers the right to authorize access to their usage data by companies that facilitate home energy efficiency. Furthermore, it would allow consumers to access information directly from home energy management systems and other energy-management products that are independent of the utility's electric meter. Finally, the legislation would ensure that the right to consumer-data access is technology neutral, allowing consumers to choose how they get and use their consumption information.

"This is a very exciting development in the areas of both smart grid and energy efficiency," said Tim Enwall, Chairman of the DRSG Board and Founder and Executive Vice President of Tendril.

"Simple and intuitive—but with a big impact—e-Know will change how people consume electricity and make energy efficiency a matter of course, not a matter of will," Enwall said. "The legislation will make buying electricity like going to the store. No longer will there be a surprise at the end of the month with the electric bill, just as at the grocery store you can see the price of milk before you get to the cash register."

"Electricity is one of the last areas where consumers get essentially no information about their purchases," said Tim Enwall, Executive Vice-President of Tendril and Chairman of DRSG. "That makes no sense, especially as the smart grid becomes a reality. One of the key ways that the smart grid will be put into action is by putting new information into the hands of consumers that will, among other things, give them feedback on the energy-reducing steps they take. After all, how can we expect consumers to manage what they can't measure."

About DRSG

The Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (DRSG) is the trade association for companies that provide products and services in the areas of demand response and smart grid. DRSG works to educate and provide information to policymakers, utilities, the media, the financial community and stakeholders on how demand response and smart grid technologies can help modernize our electricity system and provide customers with new information and options for managing their electricity use.

Members of the DRSG Coalition include Aclara; Ambient; Bridge Energy Group; CABA; CALMAC; Cisco; Comverge; Conservation Services Group; Control4; Cooper Power Systems; Corporate Systems Engineering; Echelon; Electrolux; eMeter; Energy Curtailment Specialists; EnergyConnect; EnerNOC; EnOcean Alliance; Enspiria Solutions; GE; Google; HomeGrid Forum; Honeywell; Ice Energy; Ingersoll Rand; Intel; Itron; Johnson Controls; Landis+Gyr; Lockheed Martin; Lutron Electronics; Oracle; Schneider Electric; Sensus; Siemens; Silver Spring Networks; SmartSynch; Steffes; Tendril; Trilliant Networks; Tropos Networks; UISOL; Universal Powerline Association; U-SNAP Alliance; Whirlpool; and ZigBee Alliance.

More information is available at www.drsgcoalition.org.

SOURCE Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition