Online service improves public access to state energy data

U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON DC 20585

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2013

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has added its State Energy Data System (SEDS) annual time-series data to the agency's application programming interface (API). EIA's SEDS data library adds 1.4 million data points, summarizing energy production, consumption, prices, and expenditures, to the API that EIA launched in October 2012. The API allows direct third-party computer access to the agency's public data and is ideal for software developers working in the government, research, or the energy sector who are looking to design information technology applications.

"Expanding EIA's API to include important information on state energy consumption, production, and expenditure trends is a crucial enhancement that we are eager to share," said EIA Assistant Administrator for Communications Gina Pearson. "While EIA has created many cutting-edge tools for the public to explore energy data, our expanded API now gives innovators direct access to state-level energy data to develop their own web and mobile apps."

State data available in SEDS include:

Energy production (crude oil, natural gas, coal, and ethanol)Energy consumption by source and by sector (residential, industrial, commercial, and transportation)Energy costs and expenditures by source and by sectorGDP and population

Highly valued for their comprehensive coverage, state-level granularity, and time span, the SEDS data provide information on energy trends as far back as 1960 for individual states and for the nation as a whole. For example, when seeking information on gasoline, SEDS allows you to compare states by their total gasoline expenditures and average gasoline expenses per person over time.

Data for a particular state can also be compared with other states or the national average. All of the SEDS production and consumption data is expressed in physical units, such as barrels or tons, as well as in British thermal units (Btu). Btu measurements allow different sources of energy to be compared and aggregated.

The addition of the SEDS data builds upon the API's existing electricity datasets. Planned future additions to EIA's API include the full range of the agency's weekly, monthly, and annual petroleum and natural gas data. As these data sets are added over the coming months, the total number of data series available through EIA's API will continue to grow. APIs are an important element of the federal government's Digital Government strategy to make information more transparent and customer-centered. To get your free EIA API key and learn more, visit www.eia.gov/developer.

The product described in this press release was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA's data, analysis, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views in the product and press release therefore should not be construed as representing those of the Department of Energy or other Federal agencies.EIA Program Contact: Mark Elbert, 202-586-1185, mark.elbert@eia.gov

EIA Press Contact: Jonathan Cogan, 202-586-8719, jonathan.cogan@eia.gov

EIA-2013-2

View the original article here

New state energy portal gives users interactive access to customized maps and charts of state energy data

U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON DC 20585

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2013

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has launched the most comprehensive, dynamic, and interactive view of the U.S. government's national and state energy data and information currently available to the public. Found at www.eia.gov/state, the state energy portal adds a unique visual dimension to each state's energy resources and infrastructure.

The agency designed the new portal with a range of users in mind, including policy makers, energy analysts, and the general public, who want to locate and compare state energy data and rankings and customize their own maps and charts, using an assortment of interactive tools.

"The EIA state energy portal raises the bar for visually segmenting state-level energy data. It provides a wealth of energy information to a wide variety of users, including state officials wanting detailed information on the mix of energy resources in their state, analysts assessing a state's energy sustainability, or government officials seeking the most comprehensive energy information to help develop energy policy," said EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski.

The portal takes EIA's vast portfolio of state energy data and analyses and organizes it geographically. Its comprehensive 30-layer mapping feature provides a dynamic visual representation of energy infrastructure and energy resources at the national, state, Congressional district, or county level. Map layers for Federal lands and Electric Reliability regions are also included.

Users can pan and zoom in to see energy facilities and resources related to:

Production: power plants, oil refineries, and coal minesDistribution: electric transmission lines, natural gas pipelines, and liquefied natural gas import terminalsFossil fuel resources: coal, oil, and natural gas basins, plays, and fieldsRenewable energy resources: wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal potential

In addition to customizable maps, the portal summarizes each state's ranking of its energy production, consumption, prices, and more. With a click of a mouse, users can dig deeper into any state's energy profile to learn more about its crude oil and natural gas production, renewable resources, natural gas and electricity prices, and carbon dioxide emissions and compare that data to other states and the national average. For detailed information on any of the 6,300 power plants in the United States, such as the amount of fuel used and monthly output of a specific facility, the portal links users directly to that plant's data in EIA's electricity data browser.

The new portal is EIA's response to requests from policy makers and energy experts for quick access to multi-level state energy data presented in an easy-to-understand way. EIA collaborated with state energy officials and other stakeholders on the portal's design and solicited feedback from the public during the beta phase of the project.

The state energy portal includes a help function with popup notes that explain the navigation, along with a video demonstration of its features.

The product described in this press release was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA's data, analysis, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views in the product and press release therefore should not be construed as representing those of the Department of Energy or other federal agencies.EIA Program Contact: Mark Elbert, 202-586-1185, mark.elbert@eia.gov

EIA Press Contact: Jonathan Cogan, 202-586-8719, jonathan.cogan@eia.gov

EIA-2013-5

View the original article here