It varies, but by and large we do not have arbitrary access to utility customer data. For most utilities, customers are empowered to give written authorization

It varies, but by and large we do not have arbitrary access to utility customer data. For most utilities, customers are empowered to give written authorization for a party to act on their behalf to access/manage their utility data, so we have an online form they can fill out to grant that consent within the US-DOE DataGuard Privacy Guidelines (think GDPR for energy data). For some utilities, they are beginning to provide OAuth-style access for customers (I'm actually on the board of this "Green Button Connect" standard, and we'll be coming out with our own OAuth-style solution utilities can buy next year). Overall, it varies from utility to utility and regulatory authority to regulatory authority. There's an incredible amount of politics and policy involved, but mostly it revolves around clear consent (which isn't ever a problem since the utility customer is the one wanting the energy audit or quote). The complexity of the regulation/policy is what prevents a good fit for most VC models, and other financing options are more experienced and comfortable at this than VC.