Descartes Labs to Build Data Refinery for New Mexico’s Environmental Efforts

Descartes Labs is working to develop a geospatial data platform that would help New Mexico meet greenhouse gas reduction goals. It is creating a model that would use methane detection data to help New Mexico monitor greenhouse gas emissions and implement policy on the matter, the company said Thursday.

The model’s resulting data refinery will gather input from satellites and other information sources to form a Methane detection map for New Mexico. This effort supports Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s goal to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

“We have to do the work of meeting those goals, and I’m excited to see our New Mexican private sector partners, like Descartes Labs, stepping into the arena,” the governor said.

Laura Mazzaro, applied scientist at Descartes Labs, said the company will offer new, higher resolution satellite services from 2020 to 2022 in support of the effort. Descartes Labs will provide methane detection via the Sentinel-5P satellite.