WMO Issues Guidelines for High-Resolution National Renewable Energy Atlases by 2030

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued comprehensive technical guidance to assist nations in precisely mapping their indigenous renewable energy assets, focusing on wind, solar, and hydropower resources. This directive follows a global energy survey conducted by the WMO between 2022 and 2023, which identified a significant gap: many member states lacked the necessary high-resolution climate data required for sound energy planning and investment strategies.

The resulting document, titled National Renewable Energy Atlases (NRAs) for Wind, Solar and Hydropower – WMO Implementation Guidelines, establishes a science-based protocol for collaboration between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and national energy ministries. A central technical mandate within this framework requires achieving a spatial resolution of 4 kilometers or finer for resource assessment, a level of detail deemed essential for accurate local and regional infrastructure placement.

WMO Secretary-General Professor Celeste Saulo stated that the guidance incorporates advanced, data-driven methodologies, including Artificial Intelligence-based statistical downscaling, to convert diverse climate datasets into actionable intelligence for policymakers. The methodology mandates the integration of reanalysis data, ground-based observational records, satellite-derived products, and future climate projections, specifically incorporating CMIP6 data. This scientific rigor is intended to ensure meteorological findings directly enhance long-term energy policy and infrastructure development.

The WMO's overarching strategic objective is for every Member State to possess these high-resolution National Renewable Energy Atlases by 2030. This timeline directly supports international commitments, including the goal to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvements by the same deadline, thereby advancing United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7.

The framework emphasizes a co-production model, fostering partnerships between meteorological agencies, energy departments, and other national stakeholders to ensure the utility and scientific validity of the atlases. To promote national self-sufficiency, the WMO is providing open-access Python coding resources and training materials via the WMO Energy and Meteorology Portal to facilitate independent national maintenance and updating of the atlases.

Pilot implementations of this methodology have already taken place in several nations, including Croatia, Cuba, Chile, Malawi, The United Republic of Tanzania, and Costa Rica. This initiative builds upon prior collaborative work, such as the joint WMO-IRENA 2022 Year in Review report, which analyzed 30 years of data illustrating the impact of climate variability on renewable energy potential and demand.