El Paso Electric Simplifies Secure Access to Customer Data with Oracle

Utility leverages Green Button solutions from Oracle and UtilityAPI to enable customers to opt in to data sharing to support value-added programs 

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- El Paso Electric is using an integrated data access solution from Oracle and UtilityAPI that meets the Green Button Download My Data (DMD) and Connect My Data (CMD) certification requirements. The offering enables residential customers to opt in to automate the secure transfer of their utility energy usage data to authorized third-party vendors. By sharing their usage, customers can gain helpful information and tools to help them save energy and lower their bill. The solution also allows large commercial customers with multiple utility accounts and meters to self-authorize access to all their accounts in one file via an application programming interface (API), reducing administrative tasks and increasing time to value.

For many utilities, providing access to data and insights is essential but resource-intensive. With more states mandating these kind of initiatives, utilities are looking for proven, reliable solutions to remain compliant. El Paso Electric (EPE) found that in Oracle Energy and Water and UtilityAPI. With their combined offering, EPE is meeting its secure data access requirements quickly and cost-effectively, while empowering its customers with valuable utility data and energy insights.    

Extending data access
EPE is a regional energy provider engaged in generation, transmission, and distribution. It serves approximately 460,000 customers in a 10,000-square-mile area of the Rio Grande Valley in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. EPE works closely with Oracle to provide engaging web tools and outbound customer alerts through the Opower Customer Engagement platform, which receives residential and commercial customer information datasets, including advanced meter infrastructure (AMI) interval usage data.

Instead of creating a new integration with every single vendor interacting with its customers, EPE leverages an existing integration with Oracle to share that data securely via API. UtilityAPI then provides the authorization management processes for third parties and end consumers.

Enabling secure access to AMI interval data creates valuable opportunities for utilities and their customers. For example, customers can receive energy quotes from a solar contractor with their actual usage and rate plan instead of manually sending files to the contractor or having the contractor use a "best guess." This improves satisfaction for customers with the contractor and their utility. It also reduces the likelihood of customer complaints about their new bill with solar or other third-party vendor services. As the number of touchpoints is logged with third parties, utilities can gain valuable insights into the types of vendors interacting with their customers. Utilities can adjust services and programs as the vendor landscape changes to ensure they are prepared to meet customer needs.

"Our ongoing collaboration with Oracle has helped us put our customer data to work, improve essential customer services, and identify invaluable new opportunities," said Grisel Ramirez, supervisor of advanced metering at EPE. "Oracle and UtilityAPI allow us to extend and enhance experiences for our customers outside of the core utility managed applications with the vendors working with our customers. They help us meet our compliance requirements faster and at a significantly lower cost than other potential solutions so we can continue investing dollars and time into providing safe, reliable, and responsible affordable energy."

Simplifying complexity through partnerships
"There is a growing need for data transfer between utilities and third parties throughout the energy transition, and that creates complexities," said Matt O'Keefe, group vice president for Oracle Energy and Water. "Securing and managing data in utilities and adjacent industries is in Oracle's DNA. Our platform makes it easy for utilities—and helps reduce complexity and risk— by providing a single, secure endpoint for hundreds of customer insights and attributes and streamlined authentication by extending single sign-on to other applications."

Devin Hampton, CEO of UtilityAPI, added, "Access to data is crucial for building an affordable, reliable, and resilient clean energy future in Texas and New Mexico. Our integration with Oracle enables utilities and their partners to meet Green Button compliance efficiently while providing approved vendors seamless access to customer data via a no-code dashboard or API. Together, we're accelerating the transformation of the energy landscape in a way that benefits all stakeholders."

This integration is one of several ways the Oracle data and analytics platform reduces barriers to accessing essential data across utility systems and applications. Learn more here.

About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com.

About UtilityAPI
UtilityAPI is an API software company on a mission to unleash the clean energy revolution by unlocking data. For more information about UtilityAPI and our data exchange solutions for utilities, please visit us at utilityapi.com.

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SOURCE Oracle