The REIS, which stands for Regional Energy Information System, is a computerized system created by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. It’s a way for them to gather and store information about energy in the state as required by Minnesota Statutes. This system includes energy-related data that the Department of Commerce gets directly from energy suppliers. It also includes information collected by other state departments like the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s Petroleum Taxation Division. Additionally, it contains energy-related data that pertains specifically to Minnesota, which is gathered from various federal sources such as the US Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Census, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
What Type of Data is Needed by REIS?
The energy system of a state, like Minnesota, undergoes evaluation by policymakers in light of its socio-economic objectives that account for energy limitations. The evaluation process identifies four essential categories of data required for both short-term energy distribution decisions and long-term energy planning:
- Energy supply, distribution, and consumption data
- Demographic data
- Economic data
- Engineering data
