Energy: usage data.

Senator Stern's proposal to amend California's energy data reporting requirements would allow utilities to provide building owners with aggregated energy usage data through any system approved by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, expanding beyond the current ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager requirement.

The legislation maintains existing requirements for utilities to deliver aggregated energy usage data upon request to owners of covered buildings - defined as properties with either no residential utility accounts or five or more active accounts of any type. For buildings with three or more utility accounts, utilities must provide 12 months of aggregated usage data within four weeks of receiving a request. Buildings with fewer accounts require written consent from individual account holders before data can be released.

The amendment preserves current provisions allowing utilities to recover reasonable costs associated with data delivery through approved rates, while local publicly owned utilities may seek reimbursement for disclosure costs as energy efficiency services. The bill retains existing protections that shield both building owners and utilities from liability related to the use or disclosure of aggregated data, while continuing to allow cities and counties to establish their own benchmarking programs.