The project to build a digital National Geothermal Data System was launched this week, following extensive consultation with the US Dept. of Energy. AZGS is a partner in the 5-year, $4.9 million project, which is being managed by the Intermountain West Geothermal Center at Boise State U. in Idaho. [right, geothermal map of North America. Credit, SMU/AAPG]
AZGS is the lead in developing the Geoscience Information Network or GIN, a collaboration among the Association of American State Geologists, the U.S. Geological Survey, and a growing group of industry and government partners. GIN will serve as the data discovery, access, and data exchange and integration mechanism for NGDS.
President Obama said in May that the NGDS would serve as the respository for all the data and results for $375 million worth of stimulus-funded geothermal projects nationwide that are expected to be announced shortly. This has required some rethinking of how and how quickly to get NGDS functioning and deployed.