NASA and Virginia Energy Sign Space Act Agreement: POWER Weather Data to Feed State Energy Planning Models
NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Energy (Virginia Energy) announced on October 23 that they have signed a new Space Act Agreement under which NASA will provide solar, meteorological and future weather risk datasets to support energy system modeling and long-term planning in Virginia. The agreement was announced at a ceremony that day.
Under the agreement, NASA will lend its expertise in atmospheric sciences to Virginia Energy's resiliency studies, resource analysis and long-term energy planning, helping state officials plan for current and potential extreme weather and assess its implications for electricity demand, energy generation and system stress. NASA said the information can be incorporated directly into the state's energy policy, planning and operational decisions.
The data will come from NASA's Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) project. POWER data products will be infused into Virginia Energy's modeling and analysis system through a digital pipeline connecting to Langley's POWER web platform, allowing the department to download specific datasets directly into its own tools. POWER supports the design of energy generation systems and the prediction of energy production, using validated data products from NASA's Earth Science to Action program, with research and development spanning Langley, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley.
"NASA Langley relishes the opportunity to put our unique science data into the hands of those who want to improve people's lives," said NASA Langley Deputy Director Allen Kilgore. "This collaboration with Virginia Energy will benefit the citizens of Virginia and provide stronger energy security for the Commonwealth." Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden said: "Sound energy planning depends on models that reflect real-world conditions. This collaboration will help us better understand how weather affects electricity supply and demand, identify vulnerabilities, and weigh resource tradeoffs with greater confidence."
NASA said the partnership was fostered through Langley's Strategic Partnerships Office, which connects industry, academia and other government agencies with the center's facilities, capabilities and specialized test environments.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于弗吉尼亚州 Hampton 的美国航空航天局 NASA Langley 研究中心园区航拍（资料图）。NASA 官方照片，公共领域
