Open-source DOE Site Brings Energy Resources to Public
Secretary Chu has announced that the Department of Energy is launching Open Energy Information — a new open-source Web platform that will make DOE resources and open energy data widely available to the public. The data and tools housed on the free, editable and evolving wiki-platform will be used by government officials, the private sector, project developers, the international community, and others to help deploy clean energy technologies across the country and around the world. The Web site was launched as part of a broader effort at DOE, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and across the Obama Administration to promote the openness, transparency and accessibility of the federal government.
“This information platform will allow people across the globe to benefit from the Department of Energy’s clean energy data and technical resources,” said Secretary Chu. “The true potential of this tool will grow with the public’s participation — as they add new data and share their expertise — to ensure that all communities have access to the information they need to broadly deploy the clean energy resources of the future.”
DOE worked closely with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and other National Laboratories to develop and populate the Open Energy Information Platform. The site currently houses more than 60 clean energy resources and data sets, including maps of worldwide solar and wind potential, information on climate zones, and best practices. It also links to the Virtual Information Bridge to Energy (VIBE), which is designed as a data analysis hub that will provide a dynamic portal for better understanding energy data. NREL will continue to develop, monitor and maintain both sites.
Members of the American public and the energy community globally will have the opportunity going forward to upload additional data to the site and download the information in easy-to-use formats. The site also will play an important role providing technical resources, including U.S. lab tools, which can be used by developing countries as they move toward clean energy deployment. Over time, the plan is to expand this portal to include on-line training and technical expert networks.
As part of the Administration-wide Open Gov Initiative, Secretary Chu also announced that the DOE is contributing various tools and data sets for the National Assets program being undertaken by a group of six departments and agencies across the federal government. These agencies, include the
• National Institutes of Health in the Department of Health and Human Services
• Food and Drug Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services
• Agricultural Research Service in the Department of Agriculture
• National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Department of Commerce
• Department of Energy
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
They are working together to spur innovation by making it easier for high-tech companies to identify collaborative, entrepreneurial opportunities.
By making information from multiple agencies available in RSS and XML feeds on Data.gov, the National Assets program will increase access to information on publicly-funded technologies that are available for license, opportunities for federal funding and partnerships, and potential private-sector partners. This information will help innovators find the information they need and receive real-time updates, which can fuel entrepreneurial momentum, create new jobs and strengthen economic growth.
For further information: www.openEI.org
