NASA and Virginia launch energy security partnership

NASA announced an agreement at its Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to support energy security and informed energy decisions in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Energy will receive solar, meteorological and future weather risk datasets for energy system modeling and planning.

Under the Space Act Agreement, NASA Langley will use its atmospheric science expertise to support Virginia Energy’s resiliency studies, resource analysis and long-term energy planning. NASA said the partnership will help state officials assess current and potential extreme weather conditions and the effects on electricity demand, energy generation and system stress.

NASA Langley Deputy Director Allen Kilgore said the collaboration would place NASA science data with those seeking to improve people’s lives. He said it would benefit Virginia residents and strengthen energy security for the Commonwealth.

Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden said sound energy planning depends on models that reflect real-world conditions. He said the collaboration would improve understanding of how weather affects electricity supply and demand, identify vulnerabilities and help weigh resource tradeoffs.

The agreement will add NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources data products to Virginia Energy’s modeling and analysis system. NASA said these validated products support energy generation system designs and predictions of energy production. Virginia Energy researchers will be able to download specific datasets through Langley’s POWER web platform and a digital pipeline. NASA’s POWER team will work with Virginia Energy researchers to streamline data exchange, adjust formats and evaluate additional data needs.