Energy Data Resources for GIS
2008 was proclaimed by NC State University Chancellor James Oblinger as The Year of Energy in his annual State of NC State speech. "Driving innovation in energy and the environment" was listed as one among five key iniatives and campus goals for the year.
NC State University Libraries' Data Services participated in the Year of Energy by compiling the following list of published and online Geospatial and Numeric data resources which pertain to the advancement of research and education about energy. If you know of additional resources not listed here, please send your suggestions to
Comprehensive Online Databases
The US Department of Energy Data Explorer - Identifies collections of Department of Energy sponsored numeric files, figures and data plots, multimedia and images, computer simulations, specialized databases, and interactive data maps. Search data collections at national laboratories, data centers, scientific user facilities, colleges and universities, and across all of the science areas with DOE involvement.
USGS Energy Resources GIS Data Finder - Enables searching or browsing through the Program's collection of GIS-related products including Maps, GIS Datasets and Interactive Map Services.
Monographs Related to GIS and Energy
- "Empowering Electric and Gas Utilities with GIS" (2007)
Catalog Record Summary - "Enterprise GIS for Energy Companies" (1999)
Catalog Record - "Wind resource mapping for United States offshore areas [electronic resource]" (2006)
Catalog Record - "A hydrogeologic map of the Death Valley region, Nevada and California, developed using GIS techniques" (1997)
Catalog Record
Many more can be found in the NC State University Libraries online catalog.
Industry Connections
The availability and extent of the data sets listed below are indicated in parentheses. "Data Server" indicates networked access via the Geodata Server. "CD-ROM" indicates offline availability.
General
Energy Consumption Per Capita (CD-ROM, Data Server; 2008 version coming soon)
ESRI Industry List
News and perspectives on applying GIS to many energy-related industries, such as mining, petroleum, electric, and gas.
Renewable Energy
Wind Power Potential (CD-ROM, Data Server)
This GIS data set represents windpower potential in North Carolina, as measured in Watts per Square Meter at a tower height of 50 meters. Produced by the NC State Energy Office.
WENDI: Wind ENergy Data and Information (This link is broken. We're working on fixing it)(Web)
Provided by DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and full of information and GIS data about wind energy.
North Carolina Solar Center (Web)
Provides a wide range of information about renewable energy in order to assist individuals and businesses adopt technologies that reduce dependence on foreign sources of fuel and lessen the environmental impacts associated with fossil fuels.
NREL: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Web)
NREL analyzes wind, solar, biomass, geothermal(This link is broken. We're working on fixing it), and other energy resources and inputs the data into a GIS.
Oil and Gas
Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (Web)
Fueling Station Locator maps, numeric and geographic data on fuel usage and vehicle sales, and much more.
USGS Geology, Oil and Gas Fields and Geological Provinces (CD-ROM, Web)
A world data series in various ESRI formats.
Minerals Management System (US DOI) GIS Data and Maps (This link is broken. We're working on fixing it)(Web)
Considerable data for offshore oil and gas drilling sites, shipping routes, lease areas, planning areas, and more.
Energy Information Administration (Web)
Oil and gas-related maps, geospatial data, and geospatial software.
USGS Energy Resources Program: National Oil & Gas Assessment (Web)
Spatial and tabular datasets for U.S. basin assessments in the U.S..
USGS Geo-Data Explorer (GEODE) (This link is broken. We're working on fixing it)(Web)
A display, analysis, and delivery system for coal, oil, gas and other geologic data.
World Energy Project: Outline of USGS World Oil and Gas Assessment Region (CD-ROM, Data Server)
Released in 2001, a worldwide series of digitally compiled petroleum geology, and oil and gas field maps.
Transportation and Infrastructure
FEMA HAZUS-MH Data (CD-ROM, Data Server)
Hazard mitigation software and data. Includes much data for emergency planning and response, as well as infrastructure such as power facilities, transportation and distribution networks, and other background data. NC and national coverage.
National Transportation Atlas Database (Web, CD-ROM, Data Server)
A collection of mostly 1:100,000 infrastructure and boundary data layers. Data is available back to 1998.
North Carolina Dept. of Transportation Data (Web, Data Server, CD-ROM)
Various GIS, CAD and image resources, including Integrated Statewide Road Network (This link is broken. We're working on fixing it)data, which is statewide road centerlines, and traffic count maps.
Raleigh City GIS Data (Web, Data Server, CD-ROM)
Topographic, planimetric, utilities and infrastructure data in Geodatabase format.
Dynamap Traffic Counts (Data Server) 
Traffic counts (point shapefile) for North Carolina, mostly 1995.
Dynamap 2000 (by request)
Added value streets, address, boundary & landmark data for North Carolina, class use only.
National Highway Planning Network (NHPN) (Web, Data Server)
1:100,000 coverages of current and planned highways, including freeways, urban arterials and minor rural arterials.
Utilities
Detailed utility datasets (power lines, gas lines, phone lines, etc.) are difficult to obtain from utility companies. For the City of Raleigh, see Raleigh Planimetrics. Contact Data Services for further assistance.
Commercial Data Sources
Platts (Web)
Geospatial and database products for energy industry analysis, including competitive benchmarking, market intelligence, energy infrastructure security, emergency preparedness, and reliability research.
Pennwell Books (This link is broken. We're working on fixing it)(Web)
GIS and CAD data as well as hardcopy maps for oil, gas, electric, and related industries.