Can Data Science Help Develop Clean and Renewable Energy?

This NREL insight report discusses how data science is driving innovation in clean and renewable energy. It describes platforms like the Open Energy Data Initiative, which aggregates terabytes of energy metrics into accessible ‘data lakes’ to support research, forecasting, and policy planning. NREL’s Insight Center applies advanced computing—including generative ML models—to simulate future grid scenarios, improve material discovery, and optimize energy storage. The piece emphasizes cross-sector collaboration, open data standards, and high-performance computing. It argues that integrating data analytics is critical for accelerating clean energy deployment, resilience, and net-zero strategies worldwide.