Last year I built an application that aimed to integrate existing utility information. At first I just scrapped the info from a utility-login, but they weren't

Last year I built an application that aimed to integrate existing utility information. At first I just scrapped the info from a utility-login, but they weren't too happy about it. I eventually met with the IT department of our local utility to strike some kind of agreement. I learned that energy history is extremely hard to come by with lots of federal laws protecting its dissemination. I often wonder about the barriers placed on consumers in having their consumption measured. Even with Google pushing for open access, the utilities (and the government) have steadfastly refused innovation in this space. Right now there seems to be lots of niche solutions, but all of them are work-arounds because of the restrictions in place. When these chains are lifted, you'll see some rapid changes.