An open semantic standard to standardize representation and exchange of utility rate plan data.
About URPX
The project addresses a critical gap in energy data infrastructure: while standards exist for customer usage data (Green Button NAESB REQ.21 Energy Services Provider Interface (ESPI)) and grid operations (Common Information Model (CIM)), no comprehensive standard exists for the rate plan data that determines how customers are charged for energy, water, and other utilities. The Utility Rate Plan Exchange standard, URPX, addresses this foundational gap.
Initiated by Flux Tailor with collaboration from the National Laboratory of the Rockies, URPX builds on semantic web technologies (RDF, OWL, SHACL) to create a rich, interoperable format for representing everything from simple flat-rate plans to complex ratchet and time-of-use structures and highly dynamic pricing. The standard scope includes a specification for API data exchange.
From flat prices to complex ratchets, time of use structures, and highly dynamic pricing models, URPX provides the shared language required to compute costs accurately and consistently.
The Challenge
Today’s utility rate plan landscape is fragmented. Each vendor uses proprietary systems for cost calculations. Rate plan data in machine-accessible form is rarely available from utilities. When it is available, there’s no standard format for the logic, eligibility rules, or customer profile attributes needed to compute costs accurately.
This fragmentation creates real barriers:
- Vendor silos – Each vendor uses incompatible, proprietary systems; no standard format for rate plan logic and customer profile attributes
- Missing data – Only unstructured PDFs or incomplete HTML tables made available by utilities; lack of emissions and renewable energy credit data integration
- Integration struggles – Data quality assurance challenges across territories; customers unable to accurately estimate impact of profile changes
- Poor and inefficient customer experience – Customers cannot easily understand available rate plans; complex structures are not comparable; customers often must call utilities to understand their options
Impact: These gaps slow adoption of clean energy technologies, limit customer choice, and create inefficiencies across the energy ecosystem.
Key Features
Comprehensive Rate Plan Ontology
URPX defines a formal RDF and OWL ontology covering:
- Core rate plan structure and billing model
- Charge classifications and calculation logic
- Geographic applicability and jurisdiction
- Organizational and regulatory metadata
This structured model allows rate plans to be self describing and interoperable across territories and platforms.
Rich Eligibility Rules
Rate plans often depend on detailed customer and service point characteristics. URPX supports:
- Customer profile attributes such as entity type
- Service point characteristics such as end use
- Geographic and regulatory qualifiers
Eligibility conditions are encoded in a standardized, machine readable format, enabling automated evaluation and consistent cost computation.
Temporal Versioning and Regulatory Tracking
URPX includes support for:
- Full rate plan version history
- Regulatory approval status
- Structured tracking of proposed, approved, and retired plans
This allows regulators, utilities, and market participants to distinguish clearly between active and historical rate structures.
Standards Alignment
URPX provides formal mappings with energy data standards, including:
- Green Button by providing rate plan context for usage data
- LF Energy CDS for account and billing data alignment
- CIM for grid operations
- OpenADR for demand response
Additionally, URPX offers interoperability with and mapping to standards for M2M communications such as OpenADR, SEP, and Matter.
Data Validation and Conformance
Using SHACL constraints, URPX enables:
- Schema validation
- Conformance testing
- Data quality enforcement
This strengthens trust in published rate plan data and reduces ambiguity in interpretation.
Key Contributors
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Technical Foundation
URPX is built on established W3C semantic web standards to ensure long term interoperability and openness.
- RDF and OWL define rate plan concepts and relationships
- SHACL shapes enforce structural integrity and validation
- JSON LD provides API ready serialization
- GraphQL and REST API specifications support flexible data access
The URPX specification will be released under a W3C license.
Use Cases
Utilities
- Publish rate plans in a standardized, self documenting format
- Improve transparency in rate case proceedings
- Clearly communicate bill impact methodologies
- Differentiate plans based on customer and service point characteristics
Developers
- Build rate plan comparison and optimization tools using structured, AI ready rate plan data
- Integrate consistent APIs across multiple territories
- Reduce reliance on proprietary calculation engines
Regulators
- Access standardized representations of rate plan parameters and calculation methodologies
- Support market analysis, rate case review, and consumer complaint investigations
- Increase transparency and trust in complex and innovative rate designs
- Evaluate equity and affordability impacts
Customers
- Access clear information about available rate plans and projected costs
- Estimate costs during a billing cycle
- Integrate smart devices to optimize usage and support grid services
Researchers
- Analyze pricing patterns and policy impacts across jurisdictions
- Study the behavioral and market impacts of dynamic pricing structures
Project Roadmap
URPX is developed through an open working group model. The roadmap includes phased development of:
- Core ontology and charge modeling
- Eligibility rule expression
- Validation and conformance tooling
- API specifications
- Alignment mappings with adjacent standards
Collaboration Opportunities
URPX welcomes participation from utilities, regulators, vendors, researchers, and developers working on:
- Rate plan design and modernization
- Integration of distributed energy resources and dynamic pricing
- Customer engagement and transparency
- Regulatory data exchange
Organizations seeking to standardize rate plan data, improve interoperability, or strengthen regulatory transparency are encouraged to join the working group and contribute to real world validation of the specification.
URPX supports a shared, open foundation for digital rate plan infrastructure, enabling more transparent, interoperable, and resilient energy systems.
Upcoming Meetings
View the calendar of all LF Energy events
Project Special Interest Group: Data Standards & Tooling
Project Lifecycle Stage: Sandbox
