Project BlueSky

About

Project BlueSky is a new EIA initiative to develop our next generation energy systems model, which will eventually be used to produce the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) and International Energy Outlook (IEO). The new model will be designed to address the complexity and interconnectivity of the modern world and the uncertainty associated with markets, technologies, and international trade.

Because the current energy system is evolving and changing faster than available data the next generation model will account for future uncertainty in our long-term projections. It will also be nimble so it can be updated quickly, and it will be flexible so it can handle rapid changes and emerging issues. Our next generation model will be made open-source and accessible to the public. By releasing the model with an open-source license, our modeling work will be more transparent and collaborative.

Project BlueSky is unrelated to the updates that are currently underway in the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS), which are necessary for the AEO2025. Project BlueSky is a parallel long-term effort.

BlueSky Prototype

On October 31, 2024, we released the BlueSky Prototype publicly via GitHub under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. This basic prototype is the first step toward creating a next generation model. We are giving the modeling community an early opportunity to test the code and provide feedback.

With the release of the prototype, we are soliciting feedback specifically on the overarching model framework and code implementation. The prototype includes:

• data pipeline structure and pre-processors
• sample modules that represent residential demand, hydrogen production and distribution, and the electric power sector
• two different integrated solution techniques; and two different methods to test the sensitivity of results.

Given the prototype's limited scope, we have omitted any reference to a specific country, region, or timeframe in the input data.

In the coming weeks, we will release videos demonstrating the functionality of the prototype. We also plan on having discussions with modeling stakeholders to solicit feedback. Contributions to the BlueSky Prototype are governed by specific rules. You can direct feedback about the BlueSky Prototype model to nextgenerationmodel@eia.gov. More information on feedback and contributions can be found in the BlueSky repository.

Additionally, we released a working paper on October 31, 2024, that describes the motivation and approach for the prototype model.

Watch the videos to learn more about this initiative. You can also watch the November 15, 2023 public webinar.

Sign up for email updates about Project BlueSky.

Project BlueSky Announcement	Project BlueSky–Building a Next-Generation Energy Systems Model	Project BlueSky–Public Webinar

Last updated: October 2024