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Title: Confidential data in a competitive utility environment: A regulatory perspective

Abstract

Historically, the electric utility industry has been regarded as one of the most open industries in the United States in sharing information but their reputation is being challenged by competitive energy providers, the general public, regulators, and other stakeholders. As the prospect of competition among electricity power providers has increased in recent years, many utilities have been requesting that the data they submit to their utility regulatory commissions remain confidential. Withholding utility information from the public is likely to have serious and significant policy implications with respect to: (1) consumer education, the pursuit of truth, mutual respect among parties, and social cooperation; (2) the creation of a fair market for competitive energy services; (3) the regulatory balance; (4) regional and national assessments of energy-savings opportunities; (5) research and development; and (6) evaluations of utility programs, plans, and policies. In a telephone survey of all public utility commissions (PUCs) that regulate electric and gas utilities in the U.S., we found that almost all PUCs have received requests from utility companies for data to be filed as confidential, and confidential data filings appear to have increased (both in scope and in frequency) in those states where utility restructuring is being actively discussed.more » The most common types of data submitted as confidential by utilities dealt with specific customer data, market data, avoided costs, and utility costs.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
374144
Report Number(s):
LBNL-38622
ON: DE96014986; TRN: 96:005338
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Aug 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING AND POLICY; ELECTRIC UTILITIES; REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; PROPRIETARY INFORMATION; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY; STATE GOVERNMENT; REGULATIONS; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; POLITICAL ASPECTS; LEGAL ASPECTS; COMPETITION; PUBLIC INFORMATION

Citation Formats

Vine, E. Confidential data in a competitive utility environment: A regulatory perspective. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/374144.
Vine, E. Confidential data in a competitive utility environment: A regulatory perspective. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/374144
Vine, E. 1996. "Confidential data in a competitive utility environment: A regulatory perspective". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/374144. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/374144.
@article{osti_374144,
title = {Confidential data in a competitive utility environment: A regulatory perspective},
author = {Vine, E},
abstractNote = {Historically, the electric utility industry has been regarded as one of the most open industries in the United States in sharing information but their reputation is being challenged by competitive energy providers, the general public, regulators, and other stakeholders. As the prospect of competition among electricity power providers has increased in recent years, many utilities have been requesting that the data they submit to their utility regulatory commissions remain confidential. Withholding utility information from the public is likely to have serious and significant policy implications with respect to: (1) consumer education, the pursuit of truth, mutual respect among parties, and social cooperation; (2) the creation of a fair market for competitive energy services; (3) the regulatory balance; (4) regional and national assessments of energy-savings opportunities; (5) research and development; and (6) evaluations of utility programs, plans, and policies. In a telephone survey of all public utility commissions (PUCs) that regulate electric and gas utilities in the U.S., we found that almost all PUCs have received requests from utility companies for data to be filed as confidential, and confidential data filings appear to have increased (both in scope and in frequency) in those states where utility restructuring is being actively discussed. The most common types of data submitted as confidential by utilities dealt with specific customer data, market data, avoided costs, and utility costs.},
doi = {10.2172/374144},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/374144}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}