Evidence of meeting #95 for Natural Resources in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was collection.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration
I probably have a biased perspective on that, but yes, I think that's a good summary.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
Okay.
Just quickly, in the time I have left, perhaps both of you can comment on something. We've heard a lot about the confidentiality of some sorts of data, and from others about unnecessary confidentiality.
I'm just wondering how your agencies deal with that when perhaps certain industries or companies or utilities want to hold onto data for reasons that are perhaps unknown to the outside world. How do you get around that problem?
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration
The information that we collect from businesses is very business-competitive information. It's very sensitive. Unless we have the laws in place to safeguard information, those individuals wouldn't want to provide it. But as we are a federal agency with federal statutes that empower us to collect that information and not disseminate it unless required by the federal entity, they feel much more induced to provide that information.
On the other hand, there's a lot of information and we're working in United States at even at a broader federal statistical level at finding ways to aggregate and randomize information so that people can get information across government agencies. It's both a two-way street. You need to be able to protect proprietary company information as well as find ways to aggregate and randomize information to get it out, even across a different set of statistical categories or agencies.
NDP
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
It's okay, because I was going to proceed, regardless, to Mr. Millard on a similar topic.
Membership in the IEA appears to require a number of different things, such as CO2 reduction, a commitment to the CERM, and also industrial disclosure obligations.
I'm wondering if you could let us know whether or not Canada meets its industrial disclosure obligations to provide the types of data that the IEA expects.
Chief Statistician and Head of the Energy Data Centre, International Energy Agency
In terms of the data that we request from Canada and the way it comes into us at the Energy Data Centre, then Canada is meeting all of the requirements that we ask of it.
I've mentioned a couple of issues with timeliness. Those are areas that we continue to work on with Canada.
From our data requirements, we are getting all the information that we require from Canada.
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
Then in terms of other countries and whether or not they have sufficient laws in place, do you think Canada can take best practices from your other member states in terms of the types of rules that are in place to make sure that the data is comprehensive, timely, and accurate?
Chief Statistician and Head of the Energy Data Centre, International Energy Agency
Yes.
We do a lot of sharing information across all our members, and our non-member association countries as well. We have an annual meeting of statisticians that Canada is always an active contributor too. There is a lot of learning.
The legal framework, as has been said, is very important. There's the legal framework to collect the data, and also the legal framework to be able to effectively share and use that data. There's little point in the information coming into one place and then can't be used. Of course, confidentiality has to be protected, but it's better that confidentiality be addressed across everybody.
One scenario, which I'm sure you're familiar with at the moment, is that we understand that some data can't be passed from StatsCan to NRCan because of confidentiality. There's obviously the need to protect that confidentiality in the published information, and quite rightly so.
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
That does speak to the independence perhaps that may be required in a singular entity.
Mr. Conti, on a different topic, I was interested to see the money that is being spent in your industry. The EIA's budget last year was about $122 million.
Do you have any other sources of revenue than the federal contribution?
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
In your opening remarks, you referred to users as the customers of your data. Did you mean the audience? There are no paying customers for any data.
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration
We still consider them customers or stakeholders, but they're not paying for anything, yes.
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
Do you see any conflict with some of the earlier suggestions we've heard today that a private profit-making entity should be involved with data collection in exchange? Would that conflict with other mandates or other ethical requirements the organization has?
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration
I don't think it would conflict with any mandates. I think it makes it harder. At least in the United States, the populace is more skeptical of private data than federal data. One of the things that benefits federal organizations is their longevity, which contributes to their reputation, which helps us to be able to get data from respondents. As well, the information we provide to customers is thought to be valid.
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
I've really enjoyed over the last number of years receiving the daily emails from Energy Today and from This Week in Petroleum.They've really informed some of my thinking around energy uses in North America. I'm wondering to what extent those datasets already include information about Canada and Mexico. Are they largely restricted to the United States, or are they more the integrated system in our North American market?
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration
We put out a lot of articles that include information from Canada and Mexico. Of course, it's not as extensive as we have in the United States, but we love our North American brethren.
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
When I think about access to information and this agency that American congressmen have, I'm a little bit envious and maybe wish we could go back to 1977 and start this here. It sort of speaks to end-use data.
You talked a little bit about the effect that the smart grid and micro-generation might have on utilities. Can you speak a little more about how your organization is engaged in collecting data related to battery power and solar panels in homes, and how that affects the overall energy infrastructure.
Once you've answered, Mr. Millard can speak a little bit about how the International Energy Agency addresses end-use and micro-generation.
Thank you.
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration
Most of the information we currently get about either battery storage or photovoltaic systems we get directly from utilities, which are regulated in the United States, so their information is mostly available to everyone. We also get information in our residential energy consumption survey, which is a more general survey about what energy-using facilities or devices households or commercial businesses have. We try to put all of that together. It's only been in the past four or five years that we've started to put that information out on a more regular basis to make it more widely available as it becomes more and more important in the United States.
Chief Statistician and Head of the Energy Data Centre, International Energy Agency
I'll make a quick couple of points on what we're doing in those two areas. Firstly, on energy end-use, as you may be aware, under the G20, we have an energy end-use data initiative that we're currently running with France. We're very grateful that both Canada and the U.S. are a part of that initiative, where we're looking to share best practices or enhance energy end-use data, including the use of data that may become available under the correct conditions from smart meters and other smart technology.
On micro-generation, our role within the agency is really to highlight the best practices of what countries are doing in this area. We noticed that some countries have done some very clever work and data matching to understand the impact of the self-consumption of solar PV when attached to roofs, and the impact that has on grid generation. So we're doing two things: questioning where countries aren't supplying data for that sort of generation where we know it's prevalent within the country, and then sharing knowledge with them to help them collect the data.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
You're right on time, too. That was perfect.
Gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us today from Paris and Washington. Your information is incredibly helpful to the study we're undertaking here, so you have our gratitude.
Conservative
