Geographic Information System (GIS) Modeling
Geographic information systems (GIS) integrate common database operations such as query and statistical analysis with the visualization and geographic analysis benefits offered by maps. The ability to integrate spatial and tabular data enables an analyst to see trends or patterns and analyze geographic relationships that may not be visible in text files, spreadsheets, or databases. Thus, GIS not only produces appealing visual output, but also provides the ability to perform analyses that in some cases would otherwise be infeasible or even virtually impossible.
The Energy Policy & Economics (EP&E) Group's capabilities and experience provide a unique perspective for the application of GIS. Extensive experience with energy analysis, land use issues, and Census demographic data enhances EP&E analysts' ability to develop GIS-based solutions.
EP&E employs GIS on diverse projects for clients including the Departments of Energy and Defense (DOE and DoD), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). Recent GIS applications have included:
- Examining land use in the transmission corridor for the PATH 15 supplemental environmental analysis
- Analyzing demographic data for the socioeconomic section of the National Enrichment Facility Environmental Impact Statement, as well as for several Hanford-related NEPA documents
- Examining renewable power development potential on DoD lands
For more background on the capabilities of GIS in general, see:
What is GIS?
For further information on GIS Modeling, contact:
Doug Elliott, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), at (503) 417-7556 or
Dave M. Anderson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), at (509) 375-6781.