We live in an era that’s consumed with collecting data. From shopping habits to credit scores, our information is stored on silicon chips in data centers worldwide. This raises important questions: Who has access to it? How is it being used? What rights do we have to this data? At Greenlink, we consider these issues when we’re working with data to improve people’s lives. Today, we’ll explore the history of data collection, how we handle it at Greenlink, and what a responsible future of data ownership could look like.
Since the first US census in the late 18th century, there has been tension between representation and accuracy. The early surveys categorized just four groups of people: free White men and women, other free people, and slaves. This led to the egregious, “Three-fifths Compromise,” which counted slaves as three-fifths of a free person for congressional representation. From the start, demographic data was collected on a large scale, to the detriment of society and progress.
As the US population evolved over the next two centuries, so did census questions and privacy laws. The arrival of immigrants from around the world prompted the U.S. Census Bureau to broaden its racial and ethnic questions, while booming populations across a wide landmass created the need for new statistical approaches that could be run on the processing power of the first commercially available computers.
The American Census Survey now collects a wider range of socioeconomic, demographic, and housing data for every resident, though still far from perfect. This publicly available data forms the foundation of insights on the Greenlink Equity Map (GEM). But can Greenlink access individual names, addresses, or personally identifiable information? , no.
The Census’s “72-Year Rule” prohibits the release of personal information until 72 years after it was surveyed to ensure the privacy of living individuals. Until then, only aggregated data is collected to preserve anonymity and privacy. Our equity maps use this aggregated data to help communities, cities, and states understand where energy and equity issues intersect with demographics nationwide. In the hands of responsible problem-solvers, we work to channel this data for the greater good.
But, should this data be public or belong to individuals to share as they wish? Those questions prompted the European Union to create the Data Act, effective September 2025, which grants individuals the right to gather and trade data collected by the services they use. The U.S. doesn’t have a similar piece of legislation. Here, over 70% of electric meter installations are now “smart,” which enables utilities to track electricity usage and create a “digital energy fingerprint.” Without data ownership laws it’s far more difficult for an individual to track their electricity usage patterns and make choices accordingly.
In complex areas like data ownership, achieving equitable access and responsible use takes time and initiative. It’s not just a problem we face in the energy and equity spaces; we all face the complicated “Terms and Conditions” of social media platforms, which frequently allow companies to collect even more personal information than the U.S. Census Bureau or electric utilities. So how do we empower better data ownership? Greenlink believes in demonstrating the power and benefits of well-used data while raising awareness of the risks of one-sided data ownership. Our commitment is — and always will be — centered on using sound and responsible data for driving meaningful and just energy policy changes.
Comments