Presentation
The National Energy Commission launched its open data portal in September 2015 with the purpose of reducing information asymmetries, increasing transparency and encouraging citizen participation.
The portal makes available statistical data, indicators, maps, legal standards, studies and web applications of the energy sector, in one place, with easy access, downloadable, reusable and free.
Promotion of competition
One of the challenges of the project was aimed at reducing information asymmetries, since only the large Chilean electricity companies had access to information and data from the sector.
Given this situation, it was decided to set up a platform to lower information asymmetries among the various actors, developing actions that contribute to improving competitiveness in the Chilean electricity market.
The reduction in information asymmetries improved competitiveness in the Chilean electricity market.
The improvement in competitiveness was reflected in the number of tenders, allowing to reduce prices in supply bids for regulated customers.
Se rompen todos los record de precios en licitaciones de suministro para clientes regulados" a nivel mundial". Felicitaciones CNE 👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/C9r7OsYpBF
— Mauricio Utreras (@mautreras) November 2, 2017
Daily, the companies dedicated to the commercialization of fuel consult the data of the portal and its visualizations, among them the map of fuel prices:
Citizenship
The Open Energy initiative allowed greater proximity with citizens, making the electricity sector not alien to people. The development of applications such as 'Calefacción en línea' (Online heating) and 'Bencina en línea' (Online fuel), have a significant impact on the daily life of the ordinary citizen, by allowing simple knowledge of fuel prices and the location of points of sale.
Open data allows to develop civic apps that changes everyday life.
At the same time, the visualization of data makes it possible to understand in a comprehensible manner different aspects of the sector such as the variation of electricity generation and consumption, imports and exports of hydrocarbons, emission factors, among others.
Sustainability
Data collection is done from multiple types of sources, including web pages, web services, files uploaded to the platform and hosted on Dropbox in various formats. Then, these data are transformed, enriched and interlaced in Junar, delivered in the form of tables, graphs and maps, as well as an API that is consumed by mobile applications and interactive visualizations.
Looking ahead
The initiative still has a way to go. Usage statistics show steady growth in queries, both through the web and through the API.
Currently, Junar and CNE are working on the inclusion of blockchain technology that will certify the quality and certainty of open data of the national energy sector.
This new project, together with other challenges on the agenda, places the CNE as a more innovative institution of the Chilean State. The challenge will be to stay at the frontiers of innovation, and in this strategic vision Junar wants to contribute.