A major step toward a standardized format for communicating actionable information on energy consumption to U.S. households has been achieved, according to the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP), a public-private partnership initiated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to speed development of interoperability and cyber security standards for a nationwide smart electric power grid.

Acting on a recently completed plan developed by a priority action plan team (PAP) of experts convened by SGIP, the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) has agreed to develop a basic energy-usage data model standard, which defines the information used to communicate between utilities (and other sources) and the customer, and defines how that information is organized.

NAESB has committed to complete the standard before the end of 2010. SGIP has designated PAP10 to work with NAESB in an expedited effort to develop the standard,

Consisting of informational components that are combined together in a data model, the standard will allow utilities and customers to exchange detailed electricity usage and cost information in a consistent format. This will enable consumers to track their electricity usage and to help them decide how to manage their energy consumption and costs.

The prospective standard also is expected to create opportunities for innovation. With utilities now installing smart electric meters in millions of homes and businesses, established companies and startups are developing new products and services tailored to the energy-use behaviors and objectives of consumers. Smart meter technology will enable real-time (or near-real-time) communication of energy use, consumption and other information, such as the quality and the source of the power.

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