Dive Summary:

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released electricity data as an application programming interface (API) in the hope that app developers will use the information to create innovative energy analysis tools. 
• The data contains the most up-to-date numbers on cost and consumption of electricity and fossil fuels by state; while such information has been publicly available for some time, the API format makes it much easier for businesses to use in an app.
• The release follows the path outlined by President Barack Obama's Roadmap for a Digital Government, in which he called for every federal agency to make two data systems available in API in order to "unlock the power of government data to spur innovation across our Nation."

From the article:

"... The U.S. Energy Information Administration is releasing state level electricity data as an API allowing companies to extract data on the cost of energy across different regions, embed it into mobile apps and websites, and receive automatic updates. Agency officials hope the data release will help businesses create new energy analysis tools that will 'bring creativity to the table and add to the American economy,' said Mark Elbert, director of Web management at the EIA. ..."