New York regulators last week approved rules for centralizing energy data to encourage new market solutions in support of the state’s climate policies.

The Public Service Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a framework for collecting, integrating, analyzing and managing energy-related information from the state’s electric and gas utilities (Case No. 20-M-0082).

“This process is vital for moving forward to a new and far more complex energy system,” Interim Chair John B.  Howard said during the commission’s regular monthly meeting. “It will allow new innovation in product design and add a whole variety of levels for customers.”

Last year, the commission opened a proceeding to improve how power sector stakeholders access and handle energy-related data. In February, it adopted an “integrated energy data resource,” in which the data will be housed (See NYPSC OKs Clean Energy Programs, Local Tx Planning.)

The data access framework adopted in the latest order “provides certainty to customers, utilities and energy-service entities,” Marco Padula, director of markets and innovation at the Department of Public Service, said during the meeting.

He said the framework identifies the “rules, roles and responsibilities for parties seeking access to energy-related data and ensures uniform treatment of data access requests regardless of where the data are being housed,” Padula said.

The framework includes data responsibilities and relationships.

“The order gives meaning to customer control of energy-related data and recognizes that customers need simple, practical yet still protective approaches to granting informed consent,” Padula said.

The framework is intended to encourage energy end users to share their data and ensure they have an easy process for doing so.

“The utilities, with their ability for ongoing direct communication opportunities with their customers, must play a role in increasing customers’ familiarity with data sharing options,” the order said. It also directs utilities to prepare a customer consent engagement plan to show how they will inform customers of the options and benefits of data sharing.

Systems that guarantee “the highest cybersecurity protocols are maintained now and in the future” are central to the framework, according to Howard.

A third-party provider will oversee creation of a certification process to meet cybersecurity protocols. The certification “will be used to confirm that an energy service entity has implemented the appropriate cyber and privacy requirements based on request for access to energy data that includes the purpose, the access mechanism and the data type,” Padula said.

While Commissioner Diane Burman supported the order, she said some parts of it give her “serious pause.”

She did not outline her concerns, but she said it is important that the commission listen to stakeholders and remain open to alternative mechanisms during the framework implementation process.