NASA Langley and Virginia Department of Energy Partner on Weather Data for Energy Planning
On October 23, 2026, NASA’s Langley Research Center announced a new Space Act Agreement with the Virginia Department of Energy. Signed by NASA Langley Deputy Director Allen Kilgore and Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden, the agreement provides state officials with NASA atmospheric science datasets to support long-term energy planning. Virginia Energy will import solar, weather, and climate risk data directly into its energy modeling tools via a digital pipeline. This information includes NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) metrics, such as cooling degree days calculated from average temperatures exceeding 50°F (10°C) between 2001 and 2020. For residents of Virginia, this partnership aims to help state officials better anticipate electricity demand, assess system stress during extreme weather, and build a more reliable power grid. NASA POWER data incorporates research from Langley, Goddard Space Flight Center, and Ames Research Center.
What was announced
NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, signed a Space Act Agreement with the Virginia Department of Energy on October 23, 2026. Under the deal, NASA provides state energy officials with solar, meteorological, and future weather risk datasets. NASA Langley Deputy Director Allen Kilgore and Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden formally signed the agreement.
Virginia Energy will connect to Langley’s Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) web platform through a digital pipeline. This allows state analysts to download specific datasets straight into their own energy modeling tools. NASA POWER team members will assist Virginia Energy researchers by adjusting data formats and evaluating requirements for additional data. The POWER products combine research across several NASA facilities, including Langley, Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and Ames Research Center in California.
What it means
State planners can use NASA atmospheric data to evaluate potential energy demand and grid stress across Virginia. For instance, the system uses historical records from 2001 to 2020 to track cooling degree days, which measure how frequently daily average temperatures rise above 50°F (10°C).
By incorporating these validated figures into state models, Virginia Energy can assess resource tradeoffs and locate vulnerabilities in the electricity supply. NASA states that this information will feed directly into operational decisions, energy policies, and resiliency studies aimed at preparing for extreme weather conditions.
What the announcement does not tell us
The announcement does not state the financial terms or cost of the partnership. It does not mention how long the Space Act Agreement will last or if it has an expiration date. Additionally, the release does not detail how many staff members from NASA or Virginia Energy are assigned to the project. Finally, it does not provide a specific timeline for when Virginia Energy will finish integrating the POWER data into its operational planning tools.
How this was written
This analysis was written with AI from the official announcement below, using only facts that announcement states. The quoted wording is NASA News Releases’s own. Always check the original before acting on anything here.
NASA is helping to foster long-term energy security in Virginia. NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is partnering with the Virginia Department of Energy to support informed decisions for effective energy generation, delivery and use by providing solar, meteorological, and future weather risk datasets for energy system modeling and planning purposes. Under a new […]
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