Set Our Energy Data Free!

Learn what people are doing to democratize access to energy data, and discover what becomes possible when that data is finally free.
About this Event

Why utility secrecy hides mistakes and obscures solutions.The state of public energy data is a mess – utilities like it that way, and government isn't exactly helping. If you're trying to understand the US energy system, you're going to have a hell of a time stitching together information from disparate sources, paying exorbitant amounts for data, or getting trapped in endless FOIA requests.Making this information more accessible allows us to hold utilities accountable for decisions and assumptions that shape our energy system—from the continued operation of fossil fuel plants to the underestimation of renewable energy potential. Utilities operate as a black box, and it's time for transparency.

Learn what people are doing to democratize access to energy data, and discover what becomes possible when that data is finally free.Please plan to stay for a reception with food, drinks, and conversations after the main presentation. Note: our venue recently changed its name from Jefferson Unitarian Church to Common Flame, now live on Google Maps.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

Austen Sharpe
Austen Sharpe is a strong advocate for issues pertaining to climate change and power sector transformation. As an undergraduate at Brown University, she participated in a diverse array of energy and climate-centric endeavors, ranging from building solar panels for a satellite to uncovering climate denial mechanisms in Rhode Island politics and working at COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco.After graduating in 2018 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, Austen worked in a backcountry hut before diving into a policy analyst internship at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). While at NREL, Austen tracked communications with community solar developers across the country, helped automate the data collection process for the Renewable Energy Databook, and served as a primary author on a technical report of ethanol potential in Jamaica.

Through working with NREL, Austen cultivated a love for both the technical and political aspects of energy. She proceeded to the consulting firm E9 Insight, where she honed her interest in utility regulatory policy and knowledge of state Public Utilities Commissions. Driven by a strong desire to improve energy data usability, Austen joined the Catalyst Cooperative team and has since dedicated her time to dataset integration and user interaction with the Public Utility Data Liberation Project database.