Proposal Empowers Consumers by Broadening Access to Electricity Usage Information, Spurring Energy Savings and Innovation

WASHINGTON (September 12, 2013) Senators Mark Udall (DColo.), who serves on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Ed Markey (DMass.), who serves on the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, introduced an amendment today aimed at strengthening the energyefficiency proposal currently before the U.S. Senate. The UdallMarkey amendment would empower consumers and spur innovation in energy efficiency by making available information on electricity prices and consumption in households and businesses.

"In order for our nation to be truly energy selfreliant we must empower consumers to make better use of the energy we already produce," Udall said. "Helping families and small businesses have access to information about their energy use is the first step toward using energy more efficiently. This commonsense, deficitneutral proposal would boost energy efficiency and allow homes and businesses to better understand the true impact of their energy use on their pocket books."

"From cars to cereal, consumers make better decisions when they have access to information," said Senator Markey. "The amendment we're introducing today is a win for consumers and a win for the innovators developing the apps, web platforms, and appliances that are building the smart grid and empowering consumers."

The UdallMarkey amendment would incentivize states and utilities to adopt policies that ensure consumers have timely access to electricity usage information. This proposal builds on and broadens the efforts that some states and utilities have already taken to make electricity usage information available to consumers. 

The amendment requires the Department of Energy to expand access to the State Energy Program to new stateled efforts at making consumer energy information more easily available. It also requires the Department to issue model standards for electricity usage information programs and to assist eligible states in implementing such programs.

The amendment is supported by the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, EnerNOC, Efficiency First, Information Technology Industry Council, Johnson Controls, New England Clean Energy Council, and Schneider Electric.

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Contact: Eben BurnhamSnyder (Markey), 2022242742

James Owens (Udall), 202 224 4334