Green Button Alliance
Green Button Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and certifies the Green Button ESPI-based standard for secure, customer-authorized sharing of electricity, gas, and water usage data, serving utilities, solution providers, and regulators across the U.S., Canada, Korea, and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersMorgan Hill, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Green Button Alliance does
Green Button Alliance (GBA) is a U.S.-domiciled 501(c)(3) nonprofit standards organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Jamison, Pennsylvania (legally incorporated in North Carolina). It fosters the development, compliance, and adoption of the Green Button standard, an industry-wide protocol based on the NAESB REQ.21 Energy Services Provider Interface (ESPI) specification that enables secure, customer-authorized access to and sharing of electricity, natural gas, and water usage data. GBA serves utilities (IOUs, CCAs, municipal, cooperative), third-party solution and app providers, building energy managers, and residential customers, with adoption footprints in the U.S., Canada, Korea, and Europe.
GBA's product and service portfolio is anchored on two core standards: Green Button Connect My Data (CMD), which enables customers to authorize third-party providers to retrieve their utility data via OAuth 2.0, and Green Button Download My Data (DMD), which enables customers to download their own usage data. These are complemented by the Green Button Directory℠ (a public discovery layer for certified utilities, third-party solutions, and platform providers), a Green Button API with public documentation, the GB DMD Validator conformance tool, a Testing and Certification Program, paid technical education, and an AI-based chatbot launched in July 2025 to field user questions about standards and services. GBA also maintains the open OpenADE Task Force for ongoing ESPI standard evolution.
GBA's revenue model is non-profit membership-driven: annual membership dues from companies, organizations, and government entities across multiple tiers form the base, supplemented by certification testing and compliance services, paid technical education, and paid advisory services offered to members and non-members. The organization distributes through direct membership engagement, self-serve downloads from its website, industry conferences (NARUC, RE+, DTECH, Smart Energy Summit, IUCX), and a member-public directory. Key sponsor members include Consolidated Edison, Enbridge Gas, and UtilityAPI, with Itron and Edison Electric Institute also active participants. No venture or private equity funding has been disclosed.
Green Button Alliance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Green Button Alliance
- Legal name
- Green Button Alliance, Inc.
- Website
- https://greenbuttonalliance.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Green Button Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and certifies the Green Button ESPI-based standard for secure, customer-authorized sharing of electricity, gas, and water usage data, serving utilities, solution providers, and regulators across the U.S., Canada, Korea, and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Green Button Alliance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Energy Data Standards and Certification
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK)
Keywords
Where Green Button Alliance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Morgan Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Green Button Alliance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: GBA generates revenue through membership fees from companies, organizations, and government entities at various membership levels and tiers.
- Certification Services: Revenue from certification testing and compliance programs for Green Button platforms.
- Technical Education: Paid technical education and training services for industry professionals.
- Advisory Services: Paid advisory services offered to members and non-members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Company/Organization Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Green Button Alliance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Green Button Alliance is a non-profit standards organization that develops, maintains, and promotes the Green Button standard (Connect My Data and Download My Data) for secure, customer-authorized access to electricity, natural gas, and water usage data. The organization offers membership programs, certification testing for platform conformance, technical education, paid advisory services, developer documentation, and the public Green Button Directory of certified utilities and solution providers.
Product overview
The Green Button Alliance (GBA) is a nonprofit standards organization that develops and promotes the Green Button standard for easy, secure access and sharing of energy and water usage data. The organization offers a suite of interconnected products and services centered on two core standards: Green Button Connect My Data (CMD), which enables secure third-party data sharing, and Green Button Download My Data (DMD), which allows customers to download their own data. These core offerings are supported by the Green Button Directory for discovering certified providers, the Green Button API for developer implementation, the GB DMD Validator for conformance testing, and a Testing and Certification Program. Developer resources provide technical specifications, while the AI-powered Green Button Chatbot offers customer support. Together, these products enable utilities to provide innovative platforms and services while empowering customers to securely access and share their energy or water usage data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Green Button: Industry standard for easy, secure access and sharing of energy and water usage data
- Green Button Directory℠
- OpenADE™
- Green Button Connect My Data (CMD)
- Green Button Download My Data (DMD)
Products and services
- Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) The primary Green Button standard enabling utilities to provide customers with secure, standardized, customer-authorized sharing of their energy and water usage data with trusted third-party service providers.
- Green Button Download My Data (DMD) Green Button standard enabling utility customers to download their own energy and water usage data for personal use, bill management, and conservation purposes.
- Green Button Directory Public directory listing utilities (IOUs, CCAs, Munis, Co-ops), third-party service and app solutions, and Green Button Platform Providers that support the Green Button standard.
- Green Button API Developer-accessible API based on the NAESB REQ.21 ESPI specification with OAuth 2.0 authentication, enabling implementation of Green Button CMD and DMD standards.
- GB DMD Validator Online validation tool that checks Green Button Download My Data files for conformance to the Green Button standard specifications.
- Green Button AI Chatbot AI-powered chatbot that answers user questions about Green Button standards, data access initiatives, and member services, powered by retrieval over the organization's knowledge base.
- Green Button Testing and Certification Program Certification program that validates Green Button implementations for conformance to Green Button Certified CMD and Green Button Certified DMD standards.
- Developer Resources Technical documentation and guides for implementing Green Button standards, including Atom Elements, Atom & ESPI, Cost and Currency, Daylight-Savings Time, UUIDs, Power-of-Ten Multiplier, and Usage Point specifications.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% of US internet households actively working to reduce consumption
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Green Button Alliance
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Green Button Alliance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Green Button Alliance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Innovate UtilityCX (IUCX)coreGBA serves as an official Media Partner for IUCX in 2026, supporting industry education, knowledge sharing, and thought leadership. GBA will collaborate on content, educational support, and event promotion to showcase standardized customer energy data as foundational for utility modernization.
- Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC)minorSECC is an Affiliate Member of GBA, and GBA is an Affiliate Member of SECC. The organizations collaborate on industry research and education related to smart energy and consumer engagement.
- BOMA CanadaminorBOMA Canada is an affiliate member organization of the Green Button Alliance. BOMA Canada facilitates national initiatives and exchange of ideas supporting commercial real estate energy management.
- Edison Electric Institute (EEI)minorEdison Electric Institute is an Affiliate Member of the Green Button Alliance. EEI represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies serving about 220 million Americans.
- North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB)coreGBA works with NAESB on the REQ.21 Energy Services Provider Interface (ESPI) standard that underlies the Green Button specification. GBA maintains the OpenADE Task Force that develops enhancements to ESPI and related standards.
- Enbridge Gas Inc.coreEnbridge Gas is a member and Board participant of GBA. The utility has implemented Green Button Connect My Data (Share My Data) and onboarded over 25 third-party providers. Thousands of customer-authorized downloads occur monthly.
- ItroncoreItron is a GBA member company and presenting partner of DTECH 2027. Itron enables utilities and cities to deliver critical infrastructure solutions for electricity, gas, and water in more than 100 countries.
- NAESBcoreGBA collaborates with NAESB on ESPI Task Force meetings and standard development. NAESB is the forum for development and promotion of standards for wholesale and retail natural gas and electricity markets.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Green Button Alliance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LonMark International: A nonprofit membership organization promoting the LonWorks/LON protocol and interoperability standards for building automation and energy management. Comparable in operating a certification program and supporting an ecosystem of vendors serving utilities, buildings, and energy management use cases.
- MESA Standards Alliance: A nonprofit alliance advancing open standards for distributed energy resources (DER) interoperability. Highly comparable to GBA in mission (open energy data/standards), structure (membership nonprofit), and customer base (utilities and DER solution providers).
- North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB): The standards body that develops and maintains the REQ.21 ESPI specification underlying the Green Button standard. A core GBA partner, NAESB is directly comparable as a membership-driven energy standards organization serving utilities and energy market participants.
- Open Charge Alliance (OCA): A nonprofit industry alliance that maintains and promotes the OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) for EV charging interoperability. Comparable as a utility/energy-adjacent standards body with a similar member-driven governance model and certification testing program.
- OpenADR Alliance: A nonprofit industry alliance that develops, promotes, and certifies the OpenADR (Open Automated Demand Response) standard. Directly comparable to GBA as a membership-driven utility standards body with certification programs, technical committees, and a similar utility-vendor ecosystem.
- Wi-SUN Alliance: A global industry alliance promoting the Wi-SUN mesh networking standard for smart utility networks (electricity, gas, water). Comparable as a nonprofit alliance developing certification programs for utility infrastructure interoperability with utilities and large vendors (Itron is a promoter member).
Emerging players
- UtilityAPI: An enterprise software company that automates utility customer energy data access for solar, energy storage, and energy management companies. Comparable as an adjacent commercial participant in the utility data-access ecosystem that competes for the same third-party developers and could either partner with or substitute for Green Button-based flows.
Broad incumbents
- ASHRAE: A global professional society that develops building standards (e.g., 90.1, 188) directly tied to building energy reporting requirements that drive Green Button adoption. Comparable as a membership-based standards organization with deep overlap in the building-energy and decarbonization ecosystem.
- Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA): An educational nonprofit focused on utility transformation, grid modernization, and clean energy integration. Comparable in serving utilities and solution providers, with overlapping topics (grid modernization, customer data, DERs), but with a broader research/education scope rather than a specific data standard.
Regional players
- Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE): A nonprofit membership organization of efficiency program administrators driving energy efficiency standards and program design across North America. Comparable in serving utilities and energy program operators as a membership nonprofit, with overlapping topics in residential and commercial energy data and benchmarking.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Green Button Alliance social profiles
Digital presenceGreen Button Alliance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Green Button Alliance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Green Button Alliance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Green Button Alliance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Green Button Alliance
What does Green Button Alliance do?
Green Button Alliance is a non-profit standards organization that develops, maintains, and promotes the Green Button standard (Connect My Data and Download My Data) for secure, customer-authorized access to electricity, natural gas, and water usage data. The organization offers membership programs, certification testing for platform conformance, technical education, paid advisory services, developer documentation, and the public Green Button Directory of certified utilities and solution providers.
Is Green Button Alliance a public or private company?
Green Button Alliance is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Green Button Alliance founded?
Green Button Alliance was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Green Button Alliance based?
Green Button Alliance is headquartered in Morgan Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does Green Button Alliance make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are certification Services, technical Education and advisory Services.
Who are Green Button Alliance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LonMark International, MESA Standards Alliance, North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB), Open Charge Alliance (OCA), OpenADR Alliance and Wi-SUN Alliance. UtilityAPI is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are ASHRAE and Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) is listed as a regional player.
Does Green Button Alliance have an API?
Yes. The Green Button API provides standards-based access to energy and water usage data. It enables developers to build applications that access utility customer data through the Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) and Download My Data (DMD) standards, based on the NAESB REQ.21 ESPI (Energy Services Provider Interface) specification. The API supports OAuth 2.0 authentication for secure, customer-authorized data sharing. Developer documentation is at greenbuttonalliance.github.io/OpenESPI-GreenButton-API-Documentation/API.
What industry is Green Button Alliance in?
Green Button Alliance's product category is Energy Data Standards and Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAK, Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good). Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.