USDA has revealed an updated version of its Energy website, launched in January 2012. The site now provides additional resources, new reporting features and investment data current through August of this year. The website is co-linked with several other USDA initiatives include their Energy Investment Maps, Renewable Energy Tool, Energy Matrix and Investment Project Reports. Some of the enhanced features of USDA’s Energy Web include:

Energy Investments Map data has been updated to include fiscal year 2012 data, the map legend and data layer, previously designed to toggle between two screens, were combined for easier operation and fast results. The map description has placed in a separate pop up window “About this Map” to visually enhance the Energy Investment map and also supports efficiency.

Energy Investment Report page now enables user access to all energy technologies data that are associated with the Energy Investment Map.  The data can be sorted by program, year of obligation, payment type, total dollar amounts and state/county/district, providing various project details. There are pie charts, graphs and report listing to emphasize investment data.

Renewable Energy Tool now includes easy access links to a number of tools available across USDA agencies with information “pop-ups” describing tool.

According to USDA, the energy website is a work in progress and additional enhancements are underway for next year including enhancements for the mapping feature of the Renewable Energy Tool to include types of data and information such as land use for producing biomass and energy crops, cost to produce crops alternative crops, competition for biomass, fuel stations, state and federal policy, USDA guidelines for and financial assistance, and state and federal office locations for agriculture, energy, environmental protection, and conservation. Initially the focus is transportation fuels.