[LINK] openEI.org

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

New Website to Bring Energy Technology Information to the Public 

 http://media-newswire.com/release_1107929.html


WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary Chu announced today that the (US) Department 
of Energy is launching 'Open Energy Information' ( www.openEI.org ) - a 
new open-source web platform that will make DOE resources and open energy 
data widely available to the world.

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. 

The website was launched as part of a broader effort at DOE, the White 
House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and across the Obama 
Administration to promote the openness, transparency, and accessibility 
of the federal government. 

“This information platform will allow people across the globe to benefit 
from the Department of Energy’s clean energy data and technical 
resources,” said Secretary Chu. 

“The true potential of this tool will grow with the public’s 
participation – as they add new data and share their expertise – to 
ensure that all communities have access to the information they need to 
broadly deploy the clean energy resources of the future.”

DOE worked closely with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ( NREL ) 
and other National Laboratories to develop and populate 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.

Members of the American public and the energy community globally will 
have the opportunity going forward to upload additional data to the site 
and download the information in easy-to-use formats. 

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.

As part of the Administration-wide Open Gov Initiative, Secretary Chu 
also announced today that the DOE is contributing various tools and data 
sets for the National Assets program being undertaken by a group of six 
departments and agencies across the federal government..

By making information from multiple agencies available in RSS and XML 
feeds on Data.gov, the National Assets program will increase access to 
information on publicly-funded technologies that are available for 
license, opportunities for federal funding and partnerships, and 
potential private-sector partners.  

This information will help innovators find the information they need and 
receive real-time updates, which can fuel entrepreneurial momentum, 
create new jobs, and strengthen economic growth.

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Cheers,
Stephen