Ofgem approves open data assumption for BSC

Ofgem has approved an amendment to the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) that will require all data to be made openly available unless there is a specific reason for it not to be.

The code modification named P398 was proposed by the BSC panel and will take effect on 24 June 2021.

To enable this to happen, the modification will introduce a triage process for data requests, whereby data will be assessed against four criteria – consumers privacy, negative consumer impact, security and commercial impact – and subsequently classified into one of four categories:

• Open – Available for all to use, modify and distribute with no restrictions.
• Public – Publicly available but with some restrictions on usage.
• Shared – Available to a limited group possibly with some restrictions on usage.
• Closed – Only available within a single organisation.

Code manager Elexon will also apply mitigating actions to enable data to be released, included but not limited to: redaction, anonymization, aggregation, limitation, noise, delay, differential privacy, shift or rotate, randomisation and normalisation.

Before deciding whether the requested data should be released  a consultation will be issued to industry for a maximum of 15 days. If an organisation does not respond, this will be taken as approval. Any party will be able to raise an appeal with Elexon after the triage is completed and a periodic review of the release arrangements will be conducted every 24 months.

Given that the data will be made freely available to all once released, there will not be a fee associated with the service unless requested by the BSC panel.

Ofgem noted that the modification align with the recommendations of the government’s Energy Data Taskforce that all energy data should be “presumed open”.