(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that, in addition to any appropriate investments in energy production, electrical and natural gas utilities should seek to exploit all practicable and cost-effective conservation and improvements in the efficiency of energy use and distribution that offer equivalent or better system reliability, and which are not being exploited by any other entity. Concerning the technologies of the Smart Grid, a focus of this proceeding, California law identifies specific policies to guide the exercise of Commission action. The Public Utilities Code states: 8360. It is the policy of the state to modernize the state’s electrical transmission and distribution system to maintain safe, reliable, efficient, and secure electrical service, with infrastructure that can meet future growth in demand and achieve all of the following, which together characterize a smart grid: (c) Deployment and integration of cost-effective distributed resources and generation, including renewable resources. (d) Development and incorporation of cost-effective demand response, demand-side resources, and energy-efficient resources. The data generated by the Smart Grid on energy usage, when combined with other usage-related data, if used appropriately, can advance these policies. California law, however, also sees that the availability and distribution of data generated by advanced meters and the Smart Grid raise issues pertaining to customer privacy. Section 8380 contains a variety of provisions pertaining to the use of smart meter energy consumption data by utilities and by third-parties who contract with utilities: 8380(d) An electrical corporation or gas corporation shall use reasonable security procedures and practices to protect a customer’s unencrypted electrical or gas consumption data from
(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that, in addition to any appropriate investments in energy production, electrical and natural gas utilities should seek to exploit all practicable and cost-effective conservation and improvements in the efficiency of energy use and distribution that offer equivalent or better system reliability, and which are not being exploited by any other entity. Concerning the technologies of the Smart Grid, a focus of this proceeding, California law identifies specific policies to guide the exercise of Commission action. The Public Utilities Code states: 8360. It is the policy of the state to modernize the state’s electrical transmission and distribution system to maintain safe, reliable, efficient, and secure electrical service, with infrastructure that can meet future growth in demand and achieve all of the following, which together characterize a smart grid: (c) Deployment and integration of cost-effective distributed resources and generation, including renewable resources. (d) Development and incorporation of cost-effective demand response, demand-side resources, and energy-efficient resources. The data generated by the Smart Grid on energy usage, when combined with other usage-related data, if used appropriately, can advance these policies. California law, however, also sees that the availability and distribution of data generated by advanced meters and the Smart Grid raise issues pertaining to customer privacy. Section 8380 contains a variety of provisions pertaining to the use of smart meter energy consumption data by utilities and by third-parties who contract with utilities: 8380(d) An electrical corporation or gas corporation shall use reasonable security procedures and practices to protect a customer’s unencrypted electrical or gas consumption data from