A public utility commonly possesses confidential information regarding its customers. This information including, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, account numbers, security codes, and other identifying information in the hands of a utility must be redacted prior to the release of any public record. Furthermore, consumer-specific energy and water usage data is confidential, except aggregate monthly billing information is open to public inspection. Thus, a customer’s monthly usage is open to public inspection but a breakdown by date and time is not.

When a customer provides the utility with a copy of a valid protection order and requests that his/her identifying information be maintained as confidential, all identifying information for the customer in the possession of a private or public utility service provider that could be used to locate the customer is to be maintained as confidential and is not open to the public.

Records of a utility that would identify areas of vulnerability or allow disruption of utility service are likewise confidential.