From hand-inked parchments to wayfinding apps, maps have helped us understand where we are for thousands of years. Today, high-tech maps do so much more, helping us address challenges, from tracking pandemics to managing supply chains and battling wildfires to strategizing whole new industries.
When officials at the Department of the Interior needed to figure out where to permit offshore wind turbines near the East Coast, they turned to GIS. There were multiple factors to consider—transportation routes, local ecosystems, coastal community needs, wind strength, ocean views and accessibility to onshore infrastructure. With help from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the agency’s analysts diligently mapped to identify the optimal spots for the towering turbines. In February 2022, the United States began auctioning wind rights off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, bringing in a record windfall for taxpayers: $4.37 billion. The maps paid off.
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