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Green Button
Stored: Green Button
| Type | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy |
| Top Organization | Department of Energy |
| Creation Legislation | None |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | Green Button gives customers secure energy use data to make smart choices, cut costs, and emissions with standard formats for millions. |
| Program Start | 2012 |
| Initial Funding | Not publicly specified |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
The Green Button initiative, launched on January 18, 2012, by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), responds to a White House call-to-action, providing over 60 million U.S. households and businesses with easy access to their energy usage data in a standardized, consumer-friendly format via a clickable "Green Button" on utility websites.
Growing from an initial commitment by 35 utilities to serve 36 million customers, it now spans over 150 utilities and suppliers, supporting innovations like SolarCity’s integration for solar assessments and Ecova’s energy-saving tools for commercial buildings, with apps like Live Buildings’ Live Footprint launched by 2025.[1]
Administered with industry partners through the Green Button Alliance since 2015, it has expanded internationally to Canada and beyond, enhancing energy management amid ongoing U.S. energy policy debates.
Goals
- Empower consumers with downloadable, standardized energy usage data for informed decisions.
- Spur private-sector innovation in energy-saving apps and services.
- Reduce energy consumption and costs across residential and commercial sectors.[2]
Organization
The Green Button initiative is sponsored by EERE, with technical support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and coordination via the Green Button Alliance, a nonprofit led by CEO Jeremy J. Roberts since 2015. It operates under DOE oversight, engaging over 150 utilities and industry partners.[3]
Partners
History
Initiated in 2011 by U.S. CTO Aneesh Chopra and launched in 2012 with California utilities like PG&E as pioneers, Green Button grew from 36 million to over 60 million U.S. users by 2025, adding "Connect My Data" in 2013 for secure third-party sharing.[4] The Green Button Alliance formed in 2015 to certify standards, and by 2023, Ontario mandated its adoption province-wide. It continues to evolve, supporting apps like Live Footprint in 2025.
Funding
Initial funding in 2012 was not publicly specified, sourced from EERE budgets, with over $8 million in related DOE grants by 2015 boosting app development.[5] Ongoing support from DOE and industry sustains its expansion, with no fixed end as it aligns with clean energy goals.
Implementation
Green Button delivers data via "Download My Data" (XML format) and "Connect My Data" (automated sharing), implemented by utilities like SDG&E and ComEd, with tools like the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Yardstick leveraging it since 2013.[6] It progresses through utility adoption and app innovation—e.g., Live Footprint in 2025—adapting to energy needs without a set end date.
Related
External links
Social media
References
- ↑ "Green Button". Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/green-button.
- ↑ "ESIF Overview". Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/energy-systems-integration-facility-nrel.
- ↑ "About the GBA". Green Button Alliance. https://www.greenbuttonalliance.org/about-the-gba.
- ↑ "Green Button Progress". Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/green-button-giving-millions-americans-better-handle-energy-costs.
- ↑ "Green Button Innovation". Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/energy-innovation-green-button-initiative-empowering-americans-save-energy-and.
- ↑ "ESIF". National Renewable Energy Laboratory. https://www.nrel.gov/esif/.