Foundational Challenges and Opportunities with Turning Data into Information for Grid Modernization

The electricity sector is going through an unprecedented change in structure. With the growth of distributed generation and prosumers (customers who both produce and consume power), typical assumptions for how load behaves are no longer suitable for transmission system owners and operators. This change drastically increases the value of high fidelity and timely operational data and load data for the energy sector and its partners. These data, if paired with proper analysis techniques, have the potential of lowering total energy consumption, reducing system costs, and improving reliability and resilience. The extraction of information via analytics, and the optimization of data to drive decision and control processes, is necessary to realize the potential benefits of raw data. This information could be useful to energy sector stakeholders who develop technologies and services for consumers and utilities.¹¹TechNet, SunSpec Alliance, and DBL Partners. “Unlocking Grid Data”. December 2016. While sensors and observations from line workers generate data across the electricity system, there is variation in data-generating technology deployment across regions because each utility may have different priorities, and therefore have different needs for analytics. With proper collection strategies and tools, the data collected can be efficiently and effectively used for big data analysis. In addition, transparent and clearly articulated rules and regulations for data privacy and security can foster legal certainty and remove barriers for third parties seeking to use that data to provide innovative end use services.²²U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). “Data Access and Privacy Issues Related to Smart Grid Technologies”. October 5, 2010. While there is infrastructure to generate and transmit data, the challenge is developing data practices for collection, sharing, and management to make efficient use of this data to: • Track changing system dynamics, such as those resulting from integration of renewables; • Share data that could improve emergency response; and • Inform investments that could improve resilience and emergency preparedness. This paper will discuss the following topics: (1) Importance of data development; (2) Progress in data sharing, protection, and standardization practices; and (3) Challenges and opportunities for improvement for utilities, the federal government, and third parties. This paper will conclude with areas of further research and development for energy data.