CTO Aneesh Chopra says he wants energy industry to create Green Button to provide access to online information
The idea sounds simple enough: you can go to your utility’s Web site, click a green button and you get information about your household energy use.
Develop the technology that makes such a green button possible, is what US Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra told attendees of this week’s GridWeek conference and then posted on the White House Science and Technology blog.
More on energy: 10 hot energy projects that could electrify the world
“How can we safely and securely provide customers electronic access to their energy information, thereby supporting the continuing development of innovative new products and services in the energy sector?” Chopra asked.
“With this information at their fingertips, consumers would be enabled to make more informed decisions about their energy use and, when coupled with opportunities to take action, empowered to actively manage their energy use,” Chopra blogged. “Furthermore, making this information available-in simple standard formats-will help spur innovative new consumer applications and devices from entrepreneurs, big companies, and even students. Imagine being able to check your air conditioner from your smartphone or having a clothes dryer that saves money for you automatically during critically hot days or simply getting some helpful customized hints on how best to save energy and money in your house or apartment.”
The idea of consumer access to energy data is shared by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners which recently passed a resolution endorsing smart grid principles that include the importance of providing consumers with affordable and timely access to their own energy use data, Chopra said.
The notion of a button as enabling a one stop shop for personal information comes from a successful program implemented by the US Department of Veterans Affairs which developed a Blue Button that lets veterans go to the VA Web site, click a blue button and download their health records, Chopra said.
Since its release, Blue Button has been adopted by Medicare, the Department of Defense, and private sector health care organizations. Software developer challenges have spurred applications that expand on the Blue Button’s promise by helping consumers use their data to stay healthy and manage care, Chopra stated.
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8
Layer 8 Extra
Check out these other hot stories:
US Energy Dept. finds myriad challenges to building culture of network security
Nigeria tries to quash rumor of “killer cell phone number”
NASA spots Star Wars-like “Tatooine” planet orbiting two stars
NASA’s big space telescope avoids death-by-budget-cut
Cyber-attack: A big one is coming says US Cyber Command General
NASA picks five companies to study solar electric spacecraft propulsion
EPA offering $500k to rev-up nationwide auto diagnostic Web site
US plan fires up gigabit application development for ultrafast networks
US lacks serious cyber intelligence
Verizon fires workers who ran, participated in office football pool
Got acne? There’s NOT an iPhone, Android app for that, FTC says
US blusters up $43M to grow off-shore wind energy
Carnegie Mellon opens competitions aimed at building slick robots
