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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71408-71409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28376]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Data Privacy and the Smart Grid: A Voluntary Code of Conduct

AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, 
Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Webinar.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity Delivery 
and Energy Reliability will conduct a webinar on December 11, 2014, to 
conclude the development phase of a Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) for 
utilities and third parties regarding the privacy of customer energy 
usage data. The webinar will summarize changes made to the VCC concepts 
and principles as a result of public comments. In addition, a proposed 
implementation plan and adoption process will be presented as well as 
preliminary results from focus groups conducted to gauge consumer 
sentiment.

DATES: The webinar will occur on Thursday, December 11, 2014, from 1:00 
p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: To register to participate in the webinar, please go to 
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/263025305. Participants will 
receive

[[Page 71409]]

more detailed instructions regarding the webinar upon registering. 
There will be an opportunity for stakeholders viewing the webinar to 
ask questions or to provide comments during the webinar.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Lightner, Department of Energy, 
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, 1000 
Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20585; telephone (202) 586-8130; 
email eric.lightner@hq.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 31, 2012, the Department of 
Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (DOE OE) 
hosted the Smart Grid Privacy Workshop to facilitate a dialog among key 
industry stakeholders. In addition, on February 23, 2012, the White 
House released the report, Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: 
A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the 
Global Digital Economy (Privacy Blueprint). The Privacy Blueprint 
outlines a multi-stakeholder process for developing legally-enforceable 
voluntary codes of conduct (VCC) to help instill consumer confidence. 
In response to workshop findings and in support of the Privacy 
Blueprint, DOE OE and the Federal Smart Grid Task Force have 
facilitated a multi-stakeholder process to develop a VCC for utilities 
and third parties providing consumer energy use services that will 
address privacy related to data enabled by smart grid technologies.
    The DOE, through a notice published in the Federal Register on 
February 11, 2013, requested electricity industry stakeholders to 
participate in the VCC multi-stakeholder process by attending open 
meetings and participating in work group activities to draft the VCC 
principles. The primary goal of the VCC process is to provide 
principles of conduct for voluntary adoption by utilities and third 
parties. After the December meeting, the finalized code of conduct will 
be posted at www.smartgrid.gov/privacy so that utilities and third 
parties can begin exploring adoption of the VCC.
    Audience: Stakeholders who may be interested in participating 
include--but are not limited to--utilities, consumer advocates, 
regulators, third party providers, building energy managers, academics, 
and home energy auditors.

    Issued in Washington, DC on November 26, 2014.
Patricia Hoffman,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2014-28376 Filed 12-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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