nrel_utility_rates
Average residential, commercial, and industrial electric utility rates (cents per kWh) for a location, plus the utility name. Used for ROI analysis on solar, EV charging, building electrification.
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/nrel-utility-rates.md
What nrel_utility_rates does on Livedatalink
AI agents call nrel_utility_rates to retrieve information from Livedatalink without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
lat | number | — | Latitude in decimal degrees. Use with lon as alternative to address. |
lon | number | — | Longitude in decimal degrees. Use with lat as alternative to address. |
address | string | — | Street address, city/state, or place name. Either address OR lat+lon required. |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why nrel_utility_rates is rated Low
This tool queries publicly available utility rate data for informational purposes (solar ROI analysis, EV charging analysis, etc.). It does not modify, execute operations, delete data, or commit financial transactions. It is a straightforward data retrieval service with no adverse blast radius if misused by an AI agent.
From the tool's definition Tool retrieves 'average residential, commercial, and industrial electric utility rates' and 'utility name' for a location. The verb 'retrieve' and use case 'ROI analysis' indicate data querying with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs nrel_utility_rates safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Livedatalink, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For nrel_utility_rates, this is the rule to start with:
nrel_utility_rates is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Livedatalink, apply this rule, and every nrel_utility_rates call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about nrel_utility_rates
Average residential, commercial, and industrial electric utility rates (cents per kWh) for a location, plus the utility name. Used for ROI analysis on solar, EV charging, building electrification. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Livedatalink MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
nrel_utility_rates accepts 3 parameters: lat, lon, address. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Livedatalink MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for nrel_utility_rates: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Livedatalink. Nothing to install.
nrel_utility_rates is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the nrel_utility_rates rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for nrel_utility_rates. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
nrel_utility_rates is provided by the Livedatalink MCP server (https://livedatalink.ai/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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