The Energy Department launched the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS), a free, online open-source platform that facilitates the discovery and use of geothermal data. This online tool will allow academia and industry to access quantifiable, technical data in digital format.
The goal of the NGDS is to accelerate research and development in order to drive down the cost and improve the accuracy of subsurface exploration while also encouraging investment in geothermal energy production. The public data platform encompasses thousands of databases, geologic maps, and reports, drawing from millions of digitized records that were previously unavailable.
All DOE-funded geothermal projects submit research data to the network through a dedicated interface called the Geothermal Data Repository, and the framework uses the same free, open-source content management system as Data.gov, making NGDS data fully transprent to researchers and developers.