Well-designed customer electricity rates and data access policies have the potential to provide substantial benefits to electricity systems, including peak demand reduction, which can in turn reduce fossil fuel-based electricity generation and associated costs and emissions. The State Energy and Environment Guide to Action: Customer Rates and Data Access report is an EPA resource to help states pursue their climate, clean energy, and equity goals. Abt provided research and technical support to EPA on this and other chapters in the Guide to Action series. 

The Customer Rates and Data Access chapter of the Guide offers insight on the current regulatory landscape, policy examples and considerations, and action steps that states use to develop customer electricity rates and data access policies that reduce peak electricity demand and promote the use of clean energy sources. It offers real-world state examples and actionable insight to policy makers, government agencies, utilities, and community advocates as they design, update, and implement customer rates and data access policies that are aligned with state policy priorities. Time-varying customer rates and secure but accessible data policies can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy cost burdens for customers. Examples of actions states that states use to achieve the benefits of energy efficiency include assessing existing rate designs through data and stakeholder input, offering bill guarantees for customers who switch to a new rate to prevent customer bill increases, and require utilities to have aggregated and anonymized customer electricity use data available. 

Abt Global supported these additional chapters of the EPA Guide to Action:

• Energy Efficiency Programs and Resource Standards 
• Electricity Resource Planning and Procurement 
• Electric Utility Regulatory Frameworks and Financial Incentives 
• Interconnection and Net Metering 
• Maximizing Grid Investments