WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to a clean energy future, the Energy Department today announced that San Diego Gas Electric (SDGE) has won the second phase of the Smart Grid Data Access funding opportunity. SDGE will receive an award of approximately $2 million to fully adopt its innovative program designed to get customers more involved in their own energy consumption.  Additionally, SDGE has committed to providing $2.33 million funding for the phase II effort, bringing the total value of the Phase II project to $4.3 million. 

“Through the Administration’s initiatives such as Green Button, innovative utilities and third-party companies across America are working together to put the power of big energy data directly into the hands of consumers,” said Assistant Secretary for the Energy Department’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Patricia Hoffman. “Helping Americans take better control of their own electricity consumption and costs is an important step in moving the nation towards a more efficient and independent energy future.”

During their Phase I San Diego Energy Challenge, SDGE gave customers access to their Green Button data, Weekly Energy Summaries, and an opportunity to receive a bill credit for reducing their energy use below their individual “use less than” amount on high demand days.  SDGE will expand the program across its entire service territory of 1.4 million customers and add behavioral studies and customer outreach efforts. Approximately 400,000 customers will be automatically enrolled to receive targeted motivation and messaging via email and direct mail channels.  All of SDGE’s remaining residential customers will be eligible to participate in the program via web sign up.

New smart grid technologies on the electric grid are generating unprecedented amounts of electricity usage data that can potentially give homes and businesses more control over their electricity choices.  However, consumers need tools and products that are convenient and easy to use to make this data into useable information.  

Today’s announcement is the final stage of a two-phase Smart Grid Data Access funding opportunity announced in November 2011. For the first phase, seven organizations – SDGE, National Information Solutions Cooperative, Pecan Street Inc., Gulf of Maine Research Institute, City of Dubuque, Iowa, Balfour Beatty Military Housing Management, LLC, and the State of Arizona – created plans for establishing data access policies for consumers and demonstrated software applications designed to help consumers better manage their electricity consumption.  Phase I awards totaled nearly $3.2 million.

For more information about the benefits of a modern, secure energy infrastructure, visit the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability's website.