by Jbs121109d3 — December 14, 2009—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is launching Open Energy Information (OpenEI.org), an open-source Web platform that will make DOE resources and open energy data widely available to the public. The site is part of a broader effort across the federal government to promote transparency and accessibility.
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.
DOE says OpenEI.org will also 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.
DOE worked closely with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and other national laboratories to develop 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.
OpenEI.org 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.
As part of the Administration-wide Open Gov Initiative, DOE is also contributing various tools and data sets for the National Assets program being undertaken by a group of six federal departments and agencies. These agencies are working together to spur innovation by making it easier for high-tech companies to identify collaborative, entrepreneurial opportunities.
