Terms of Use

Agreement

By accessing or using the U.S. Energy Dataspace platform (the “Platform”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not access or use the Platform.

About the Platform

The U.S. Energy Dataspace is a unified, secure, and accessible platform for energy data management. It provides a federated data catalog, collaboration tools, and privacy-enhancing technologies to support secure data sharing across utilities, researchers, and program participants. The Platform standardizes diverse energy datasets (including ODIN, EAGLE-I, TASTI-GRID, smart meters, and IoT data) using CIM ontology and IEC standards, and supports interoperability across federated nodes.

Eligibility and Accounts

Access to the Platform is intended for authorized users, including utility operators, researchers, and participants in affiliated programs (such as EDGAR). You must:

• Authenticate through the Platform’s single sign-on (SSO) system and maintain the confidentiality of your credentials
• Use only the access privileges assigned to your role and organization
• Notify your platform administrator immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account
• Not share your account credentials or allow others to use your account

The Platform uses role-based access control (RBAC) to limit data access based on organizational membership and need-to-know requirements. You are responsible for all activity conducted under your account.

Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Platform only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these terms. You must not:

• Access, download, or use data beyond the scope of your authorized role or permissions
• Attempt to circumvent security controls, authentication mechanisms, or access restrictions
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform, its infrastructure, or other users’ access
• Use automated tools (including scrapers or bots) to harvest data without prior authorization
• Upload malicious code, malware, or content that violates applicable law
• Misrepresent your identity, affiliation, or authority to access data
• Use Platform data for purposes prohibited by dataset-specific licenses, organization policies, or applicable regulations

Data Access, Upload, and Sharing

Users who upload, publish, or share data through the Platform are responsible for:

• Ensuring they have the legal right and appropriate authorization to share the data
• Providing accurate and complete metadata for datasets and resources
• Respecting organization-level permissions and data-sharing agreements
• Complying with any classification, handling, or distribution restrictions associated with the data

When downloading resources through the Platform (including via secure download endpoints), you must handle downloaded files in accordance with the applicable license, security requirements, and any restrictions communicated in the dataset metadata. You must not redistribute restricted data to unauthorized parties.

Sensitive Data and Security

The Platform is designed to support the sharing of energy sector data, including sensitive and territorially restricted utility information. You acknowledge that:

• Access to sensitive data is granted on a need-to-know basis through layered role-based controls
• You must handle all data in accordance with applicable security policies and best practices, including those aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• You must not attempt to re-identify, de-anonymize, or combine datasets in ways that could compromise the privacy or security of individuals, organizations, or critical infrastructure
• You must report any suspected data breach or security incident to your platform administrator without delay

Privacy Enhancing Technology Tools

The Platform provides browser-based privacy tools (including risk scanning, column removal, rare value suppression, generalization, k-anonymity, and encryption/decryption). You acknowledge that:

• These tools process data locally in your browser and do not transmit your files to Platform servers during tool operations
• Tool outputs are provided as guidance to reduce privacy risk and do not constitute formal privacy guarantees or certifications
• You are solely responsible for evaluating whether processed data is appropriate for your intended use and for complying with applicable privacy and data-protection requirements
• Removing columns, generalizing values, or applying other transformations does not guarantee that individuals cannot be re-identified from remaining data

Intellectual Property and Licensing

The Platform software, user interface, documentation, and branding are the property of the U.S. Energy Dataspace and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Individual datasets and resources published on the Platform may be subject to separate licenses specified in their metadata. You must comply with the license terms applicable to each dataset you access, download, or use. Nothing in these Terms of Use grants you ownership of Platform software or third-party data.

API and Automated Access

If you use the Platform’s application programming interface (API) or programmatic access features, you must:

• Safeguard your API keys and credentials and not share them with unauthorized parties
• Use API access only for purposes consistent with your authorized role
• Not exceed reasonable usage limits or engage in activity that degrades Platform performance for other users

The Platform reserves the right to revoke API access for abuse or violations of these terms.

Service Availability and Disclaimers

The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. The U.S. Energy Dataspace makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or fitness for a particular purpose of any data, tools, or services provided through the Platform. The Platform may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time without prior notice. Data availability may vary across federated nodes and organizations.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the U.S. Energy Dataspace and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Platform, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, or business interruption. In no event shall total liability exceed the amount you paid to access the Platform in the twelve months preceding the claim, or zero if no fees were paid.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the U.S. Energy Dataspace and its operators from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms of Use, your violation of any third-party rights, or your misuse of data obtained through the Platform.

Modifications to These Terms

The U.S. Energy Dataspace may update these Terms of Use at any time. Changes will be effective upon posting to the Platform unless otherwise stated. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. You are encouraged to review these terms periodically.