Virginia’s energy planners will gain access to NASA weather and solar datasets under an agreement designed to model how severe conditions can affect electricity use and pressure on the power system.
NASA’s Langley Research Center and the Virginia Department of Energy signed the Space Act Agreement Friday, Oct. 23, at Langley in Hampton, Virginia. NASA Langley Deputy Director Allen Kilgore and Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden signed the document.
The planned data package covers solar resources, meteorological information and datasets on future weather risks. NASA says Virginia officials can use the information for resilience studies, resource analysis and long-range energy planning, including examining possible effects on electricity demand, generation and system stress.
Virginia Energy will be able to download selected datasets through Langley’s POWER web platform, part of NASA’s Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) project. NASA POWER team members will work with state researchers on data exchange and formats, and consider whether more datasets are needed. The announcement describes planned access; it does not say downloads have started.
Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden said, “Sound energy planning depends on models that reflect real-world conditions.” NASA said the datasets are intended to inform energy policy, planning and operations, and identified Virginia residents as intended beneficiaries. NASA Langley Deputy Director Allen Kilgore cited “stronger energy security for the Commonwealth” as a goal.
NASA’s announcement also includes a map illustrating cooling demand through cooling degree days, a measure of how often the daily average temperature exceeds 50°F (10°C). The map averages data from 2001 to 2020 and gives no Virginia-specific value.
Virginia Energy describes coordination among local, state and federal partners as part of its approach to energy security during emergencies and supply disruptions. NASA’s announcement did not give an implementation date, financial terms or measurable targets for the agreement.
