Open data ensures equal and transparent conditions and easy access to knowledge in the energy market. They help market participants to make informed and responsible decisions. At the same time, open data serve as an effective means of public control over market participants, helping to counter corruption, improve government services, and develop new services and tools. Dozens of products, online services, analytical modules, applications, and chatbots have been developed based on open data. Millions of people use these resources every month. Let’s have a look how it works.
As long ago as 2011, the Law of Ukraine On Access to Public Information came into force. This law determines the policies and procedures of citizens’ access to information held by government agencies and all other administrators of public information and “information of public interest.” It means that a wide range of government and self-governing bodies, legal entities financed from central or local budget(s), market-led commercial enterprises, natural monopolies, public law entities, state-owned companies, municipal utilities, profit-making organizations, and others must ensure free and open access for the public to the identified by the law sets of data.
According to this law, any person may submit an inquiry and receive feedback within 5-20 days (in case of an emergency, within 48 hours ). The fuller and timelier the published/disclosed information, the lower is the need to submit an inquiry. It is especially true for the information to be published on official boards or printed media (foreseen by the law) and posted on appropriate websites and the National Data Portal. The Law of Ukraine On Access to Public Information defines open data as “public information presented in a format that allows its automatic processing by electronic means, unrestricted and free of charge access to such information, and its further use.”
The research study “Open Data Impact,” conducted in 2021 with support of the Ministry for Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the USAID/UK Aid Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services (TAPAS) Project, clearly demonstrated the benefits of open data for the energy sector transparency. The research aimed at case studies associated with using open data, including direct interviews with stakeholders and desk studies of government documents and media materials, to study the current practices of data use in the energy sector and the impact of data upon the daily lives of the Ukrainian public, businesses, and governing bodies.
The study focused on the open data provided by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC), Ukrenergo National Power Company, and the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine. According to the law, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine determines the data be disclosed as open data, the formats and structure the data should take, and how frequently it should be published.
For instance, the Ministry of Energy is to publish 28 datasets. Of these, the most popular are the sets on nuclear power plants, uranium mining and processing, the financial standing of state-owned companies, coal mining by state-owned companies and other mining enterprises under the management of the Ministry of Energy, and the financial accounts of state-owned and communal enterprises.
The NEURC is required to publish 10 data sets. The three most popular data sets (that is, the most reviewed) are the Register of Natural Monopolies in the Heat Supply, Centralized Water Supply, and Water Disposal Sectors; NEURC Licensee Register; and the register of power generating entities using alternative energy sources.
Ukrenergo must publish 17 datasets, including electricity consumption across Ukraine, actual electricity balance, imported/exported electricity, marginal consumption values, and the leading networks of the Integrated Power System of Ukraine.
Finally, the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine has to publish two datasets: the Energy Certificate Dataset and the Alternative Fuels Register.
It is essential to consider how the open data is practically used. To elicit this, the researchers interviewed the following sources, i.e., NGO Network Opora (GazPravda project), DiXi Group (Gazoteka project and Energy Online Mobile Application), Low Carbon Ukraine Project (MEMO project to monitor the newly opened electricity market), NGO Save Dnipro (generation monitoring), Journalism Agency Texty.org.ua (Winter is Coming service to monitor operational coal stocks at thermal plants), Kosatka.media Energy Datahub, EXPRO Electricity Journal.
Let’s look at a few examples of how open data can be used. On August 1, 2020, the Ukrainian natural gas market opened, meaning households can now switch their suppliers, for instance, for cheaper deals. However, the NEURC website provides no information on the offered prices. Instead, it just has a list of the providers licensed to supply/distribute natural gas (over 400 companies). Moreover, this list does not even specify which companies supply gas to households.
For example, Gazoteka service enables household consumers to compare prices, estimate the potential benefits, and choose a new supplier and explains how to complete and submit a switching form. The project uses the open NEURC Licensee Register along with the information available on the supplier websites, in particular their tariffs.
Mobile application Energy Online enables consumers to verify the tariffs for the general population and businesses, check whether the bill amounts are correct, and complain about poor service quality or corruption. Consumers may also comment on a company’s work and register to participate in a public hearing.
The end-users of these open data are not necessarily household consumers.
For instance, the Monitoring of Electricity Market Opening (MEMO), covers changes in the wholesale electricity market since its opening in July 2019. It uses open data of NEC Ukrenergo, is intended primarily for public authorities (including the Ministry of Energy, NEURC, State Energy Efficiency Agency, international organizations (IMF, EU Delegation), market participants (Ukrhydroenergo, DTEK), interested in process analysis and recommendations. Market monitoring helps to identify and thus tackle barriers and problems in the field on time. Eventually, this will contribute to further reforming the sector and ensuring the interests of end-users.
The service “Winter is coming. Watch the coal stocks” implemented by journalistic data agency Texty.org.ua, provides operational information on coal reserves at thermal power plants of Ukraine and the dynamics of their consumption/replenishment, showing implementation/non-implementation of the plan by the stations.
Finally, special publications may be of interest to the general public, so they should be made readily available to a broad audience. For instance, the Kosatka.media, with its thematic sections dedicated to Gas, Oil, Coal, Electricity, and Renewables, is well-known among readers who need actual, accurate, and well-systematized data on the quality of energy sector analysis. Also, you can always find helpful information on the pages of internet media an EXPRO Electricity, that covers a wide range of electricity topics.
To summarize, data and information in the energy sector may benefit a wide range of users, including the general public, businesses, analysts, research institutions, and authorities. Open data ensures equal and transparent conditions and easy access to knowledge in the energy market, helping market participants to make informed and responsible decisions. At the same time, open data serves as an effective means of public control over market participants, helping counter corruption, improve government services, and develop new services and tools. Many products, online services, analytical modules, applications, and chatbots have been designed on open data. Millions of people use these resources every month.