NASA and Virginia agree to use satellite data for energy security

(SpaceEnergy) NASA has signed an agreement with Virginia's energy department to integrate satellite-derived solar radiation data and meteorological modelling into electricity planning, supporting energy security and grid resilience.

The Space Act Agreement, announced on 23 October, establishes cooperation between NASA's Langley Research Center and the Virginia Department of Energy.

The partnership will incorporate information from NASA's Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) programme into state energy modelling and analysis systems.

POWER combines satellite observations and atmospheric models to provide solar radiation, meteorological and climate-related datasets used to assess renewable energy resources and electricity generation potential.

Under the agreement, Virginia Energy will use the information to examine electricity demand, generation capacity, extreme weather risks and vulnerabilities affecting energy infrastructure.

NASA researchers will help integrate the datasets through a digital connection to the POWER platform, including adapting data formats and assessing additional information requirements.

The programme draws on research undertaken at NASA's Langley, Goddard and Ames research centres.

Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden said the collaboration would help officials understand how weather affects electricity supply and demand and assess infrastructure vulnerabilities.

The agreement concerns the application of existing space-derived observations to terrestrial energy planning rather than the development of new spacecraft power-generation hardware.

NASA did not disclose the agreement's financial value or a timetable for completing the data integration.