An assessment of experiences in the U.S.A. with power and emissions disclosure information for energy consumers

Abstract

A new Norwegian electricity directive that will take effect in 2007 will mandate the compliance of Norwegian electricity utilities with the European Unions EL Directive (2003/54/EC, par 6). The EU Directive states that all electricity suppliers will be required to provide their customers with ‘power disclosure’ information on the fuel mix and emissions resulting from energy generation. The USA has a decade of experience with the implementation of power disclosure information. The experiences in the USA form a valuable source of insights and information on the pros and cons of various forms for power disclosure. These insights serve as a source for further testing in Norway and as a resource on which Norwegian authorities and energy suppliers can draw in their further development of guidelines and compliance schemes. In this report, the US experiences with power and emissions disclosure are reviewed and their relevance for Norway discussed. Emphasis is given to the ways that information has been provided to customers, such as whether information should be provided on the energy bill or as a billing insert; whether a graphical or tabular presentation of the information should be used; whether and how to provide a basis of comparison of a given suppliers power mix with that of others. Recommendations are made as to how Norwegian suppliers can best achieve an effective and consumer friendly format for power disclosure information.