WASHINGTON DC - Congress took a step forward on technology, transparency and innovation today as Rep. Ed Markey and the Natural Resources Committee Democrats released “eVIZ," a groundbreaking new app.
The “eVIZ," short for Energy Visualizer, takes you inside America’s energy system like never before. The app features three animated experiences which map U.S. energy production and consumption, extreme weather costs, and fuel economy savings.
“The eVIZ app is an example of our how committed Committee Democrats are to technology, innovation and new ideas," said Rep. Ed Markey. “As more consumers harness the power of apps and tablet devices, Congress has the opportunity and responsibility to present government data and information in a creative way."
The eVIZ is available for FREE, and can be downloaded now on the app store.
With eVIZ, decades of U.S. energy production - including wind, solar, coal, and oil - can be mapped with just the slide of a finger. People can even create head-to-head match ups between states to learn which are the most energy efficient. In addition, eVIZ features an extreme weather section mapping billion dollar disasters.
“The effects of the way we use energy are costly to our country," said Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ). “ This app helps a citizen visualize the energy use in all the states and the effects that are already occurring."
The Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over American energy resources, including oil. With the app’s fuel economy calculator, families can learn how to save both oil and money at the pump. Just by entering their vehicle mileage and setting their gas price, consumers can slide along the apps miles per gallon chart to learn how much money they can save, and pollution they can cut, thanks to improved fuel economy.
“Boosting fuel economy has recharged our domestic auto industry, created jobs, cut dangerous foreign oil and saved consumers at the pump," said Rep. Markey. “We created the eVIZ fuel economy calculator to give our constituents the ultimate car shopping and savings tool."
About the App:
Last year, Ranking Member Markey directed the Committee’s Democratic staff to develop an iPad app that could be used to convey information to Members, Congressional Staff, the public, and the press on energy production, consumption, and the impacts of extreme weather and climate change. The staff developed the eVIZ app in response to this request, working in collaboration with two outside vendors, Socialbomb, Inc., a digital agency and Cousins & Sears LLC, a design and engineering firm specializing in data visualization.
The eVIZ app is currently available on the iPad and iPad Mini.
Datasets:
The eViz app makes use of the publicly available State Energy Data System (SEDS), the source of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) comprehensive state energy statistics. EIA’s goal in maintaining SEDS is to create historical time series of energy production, consumption, prices, and expenditures by state that are defined as consistently as possible over time and across sectors for analysis and forecasting purposes.
The extreme weather visualization presents events where overall damages exceed $1 billion, as determined by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center.
About Rep. Ed Markey:
No stranger to innovation, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is the author of the 1996 Telecom Act, landmark fuel economy laws, and co-author of the only climate bill ever to pass a body of Congress. In 2010, Rep. Markey forced BP to provide him with live undersea footage of the Gulf oil spill, which he then made available to the public on his website, creating the “Spillcam."
