"Utility customers have a reasonable expectation of privacy related to the information that utilities collect, maintain, and disclose, including energy usage data and information provided by some customers that is used for the implementation and evaluation of various utility programs," noted MPSC Chairman John D. Quackenbush.
"The tariffs approved today limit the collection, use or disclosure of any customer information to accomplishing primary utility purposes only. The utility must obtain informed consent from the customer in advance in cases where the utility wishes to collect, use or disclose customer information for a secondary, non-utility purpose."
Today’s order directs the utilities to display a link to the customer data privacy tariff prominently on their respective websites within 30 days.
The MPSC on Sept. 11, 2012 issued an order in Case No. U-17000 that noted the matter of customer data privacy was sufficiently important to merit the creation of a separate docket.
The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
