Industry bodies promise to ‘free the data’

Power industry central bodies have promised to free-up data to allow innovation in the sector.

National Grid ESO, in its ‘Towards 2030′ plans for taking forward its ESO role, promised to “Open data wherever possible” saying that in the energy industry, data availability will be the driver for change.

It promised to “provide open, automated, and machine-readable data wherever possible. Our data will be presumed open, with access only ever being restricted to mitigate security, privacy, legal or consumer impact risks.

“We will champion open data-sharing and governance across the energy industry, as data access improves market efficiency and creates the conditions for innovation across industry, thereby lowering consumer bills and delivering benefits to society as a whole.”

Meanwhile, data transfer body Electralink has launched an Energy Market Data Hub. The new innovation platform aims to provide the energy market with a platform for existing and new energy market participants to develop products and services.

The Hub’s range of services comprise: Data Transfer Solutions, including the Data Transfer Service (DTS) and other solutions that support the flow of information across the utilities industry; Data Solutions, which are based on ElectraLink’s access to energy market data, and address a wide range of data issues faced by energy companies; and Insight Solutions that offer the analysis and insight of market data required to support evolution and innovation in the energy market.

ElectraLink chief executive Stuart Lacey said: The launch of the EMDH is an important milestone. The EMDH expands our service offering to both existing and new energy market participants as they grapple with the challenges of energy transformation. This transformation is happening now, and the data transparency provided by the EMDH will promote innovation and investment in the energy market for the benefit of consumers.”