The app enables users to get an in-depth look at energy activity in the U.S, and features three animated experiences that map energy production and consumption, extreme weather costs, and fuel economy savings. It is available for free on the iPad and iPad Mini.
One can browse (decades at a time, if desired) through a variety of energy sources including wind, solar, coal, and oil. Users have the option of creating match ups between states to see which state is managing energy the best.
Rep. Ed Markey says that the app is an example of how dedicated the Natural Committee Democrats are to technology and ideas in the energy field. The organization has jurisdiction over American energy resources, including oil, and is looking to show people how they can practically cut back on fuel (and thus money) by giving them some features that will come in handy at the gas pump. Users can enter their vehicle mileage, set their gas price, and then slide through the app's miles per gallon chart to learn how much money they can save, and pollution they can cut.
The fuel saving feature is part of a greater plan to boost fuel economy and continue revitalizing the domestic auto industry so as to create jobs, cut foreign oil dependency, and save people money. “We created the eVIZ fuel economy calculator to give our constituents the ultimate car shopping and savings tool,” Markey says.
A longtime supporter of efficient fuel economy, Markey is the author of the 1996 Telecom Act and co-author of the only climate bill ever to pass a body of Congress. In 2010, Markey cornered BP in regards to the disastrous oil spill for which the BP was to blame, and demanded they provide him live undersea footage of the spill which Markey then made available to the public on his website with the “Spillcam.”
Markey directed the Committee’s Democratic staff to develop an iPad app that could be used to give sensible information pertaining to energy production, extreme weather, and climate change to all types of people including congressional Staff, the public, and the press