PG&E Data Portals MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.
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"mcpServers": {
"pge-data-portals": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
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About PG&E Data Portals MCP Server
Connect PG&E Data Portals to any AI agent and programmatically search, discover, and query PG&E's public energy datasets through natural conversation.
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings PG&E Data Portals data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 10 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
What you can do
- Dataset Search — Search the complete PG&E Data Portals catalog for energy-related datasets
- Energy Usage — Query electricity and gas consumption data by ZIP code and date range
- EV Adoption — Access electric vehicle registration and adoption trends by geographic area
- Solar Generation — Retrieve solar energy production and net energy metering (NEM) statistics
- Energy Efficiency — Analyze program participation, energy savings achieved, and cost-effectiveness
- Grid Infrastructure — Access distribution circuit, substation, and grid capacity data
- Date Range Queries — Filter any dataset by specific time periods for trend analysis
- Dataset Metadata — Get schema information and field descriptions for all datasets
The PG&E Data Portals MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect PG&E Data Portals to VS Code Copilot via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the PG&E Data Portals MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Create MCP config
Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above
Enable Agent mode
Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown
Start using PG&E Data Portals
Ask Copilot: "Using PG&E Data Portals, help me...". 10 tools available
Why Use VS Code Copilot with the PG&E Data Portals MCP Server
GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with PG&E Data Portals through the Model Context Protocol.
VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
PG&E Data Portals + VS Code Copilot Use Cases
Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the PG&E Data Portals MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step
DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review
Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses
Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples
PG&E Data Portals MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (10)
These 10 tools become available when you connect PG&E Data Portals to VS Code Copilot via MCP:
get_dataset_schema
Use this to understand what columns and data types are available before querying. The datasetId is obtained from search_datasets or list_all_datasets. Get the schema/metadata for a specific PG&E dataset
list_all_datasets
Each dataset includes name, description, ID, and metadata. Use this as a starting point to explore what data is available from PG&E — includes energy usage, EV adoption, solar generation, energy efficiency programs, and grid infrastructure datasets. List all available datasets in the PG&E Data Portals catalog
query_by_date_range
Specify the dataset ID and start/end dates to retrieve records within that time period. Use this for time-series analysis across any dataset type. Dataset ID from search_datasets. Dates in YYYY-MM-DD format. This is useful for year-over-year comparisons and trend analysis. Query any PG&E dataset filtered by a specific date range
query_dataset
Optional filters can be passed as key-value pairs to narrow results (e.g., zip_code, year, region). Use this to retrieve actual data records from any dataset in the PG&E Data Portals. Dataset IDs are obtained from search_datasets or list_all_datasets. Query a specific PG&E dataset with optional filters
query_energy_efficiency
), and investment amounts. Use this to analyze program effectiveness and ROI of energy efficiency initiatives. Optional programType filters by program category. Year is YYYY format. Query PG&E energy efficiency program data
query_energy_usage
Returns electricity usage aggregated by customer segment (residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural). Use this to analyze energy consumption patterns in specific geographic areas over time. ZIP code format: 5-digit (e.g., "94102"). Dates in YYYY-MM-DD format. Query PG&E energy consumption data by ZIP code and date range
query_ev_adoption
Use this to analyze EV adoption trends, identify high-adoption areas, and correlate with charging infrastructure. ZIP code is 5-digit format. Year is YYYY format (e.g., "2024"). Query electric vehicle adoption data by ZIP code and year
query_grid_infrastructure
Use this to understand grid capacity, identify areas needing upgrades, or analyze reliability metrics. Region filters by geographic area. dataType can filter by specific infrastructure type. Query PG&E grid infrastructure and distribution data
query_solar_generation
Use this to analyze solar adoption and production trends. Region can be a county name or service area identifier. Year is YYYY format. Query solar energy generation data by region and year
search_datasets
Use this to discover available datasets before querying specific data. Returns dataset names, descriptions, IDs, and metadata. Optional query parameter filters results by keyword. Search the PG&E Data Portals catalog for energy datasets
Example Prompts for PG&E Data Portals in VS Code Copilot
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with PG&E Data Portals immediately.
"List all available PG&E datasets."
"Show me electricity usage for ZIP code 94102."
"Show EV adoption trends by ZIP code for 2024."
Troubleshooting PG&E Data Portals MCP Server with VS Code Copilot
Common issues when connecting PG&E Data Portals to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
MCP tools not available
PG&E Data Portals + VS Code Copilot FAQ
Common questions about integrating PG&E Data Portals MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
.vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.Connect PG&E Data Portals with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
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GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
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Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect PG&E Data Portals to VS Code Copilot
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 10 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.