Municipal governments need utility-customer data to fulfill their responsibilities in several respects:

• To reduce municipal operating costs, ultimately borne by taxpayers;
• To deliver municipal services effectively, including public safety, health, community and economic development, operation of comfortable and productive municipal facilities and other services impacted by availability, reliability and cost of utility services;
• To set, monitor, manage and report on goals for energy sources and uses, impacts and costs in municipal facilities and throughout the entire community.

Access to utility customer data today is hindered by customer privacy standards that have not kept up with needs or the capabilities of information systems. MI-MAUI supports development of comprehensive protocols that protect customer privacy, set clear standards for what data utilities may provide and to whom, and that help local governments achieve their policy, program delivery and fiscal objectives.