Back to Infrastructure

Audit-Ready Carbon Reporting for Electric Utilities

Track generation mix by fuel type, calculate grid emission intensity (tCO2/MWh), and model renewable integration scenarios for net-zero targets.

Book Demo Start Free Trial

The Industry Hotspot: Coal and Natural Gas Power Generation

90-95% from power plants

For electric utilities, 90-95% of emissions are Scope 1 from combustion at power plants. Coal-fired generation emits ~0.9-1.0 tCO2/MWh. Natural gas combined cycle ~0.4 tCO2/MWh. Solar/wind ~0.01-0.05 tCO2/MWh (manufacturing only, no combustion). A utility with 60% coal, 30% gas, 10% renewables has grid emission intensity ~0.7 tCO2/MWh. NetNada tracks generation by fuel type, calculates hourly emission intensity, models coal retirement impact, and generates SASB IF-EU disclosures.

SASB Industry Definition

The Electric Utilities & Power Generators industry includes entities that generate, transmit, and distribute electricity through utility infrastructure. Entities in this industry operate power plants (coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal) and manage electric grid transmission and distribution networks. Revenue comes from regulated utility rates and wholesale power sales. The industry is capital-intensive with long-lived assets and is undergoing energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

View SASB Standard →

Industry-Specific Carbon Accounting

No generic solutions. Metrics, data sources, and reporting aligned to Electric Utilities & Power Generators operations.

Generation Mix Carbon Intensity Calculation

Import hourly generation data by fuel type (coal MWh, gas MWh, hydro MWh, solar MWh, wind MWh). Apply emission factors: Coal 0.95 tCO2/MWh, Gas 0.42 tCO2/MWh, Renewable 0.02 tCO2/MWh. Calculate: Total emissions ÷ Total generation = Average grid emission factor (tCO2/MWh).

Grid emission intensity tracked

Hourly Emission Factor for Time-of-Use

Calculate emission intensity by hour (not just daily average). Solar-heavy grids have lower daytime factors. Gas peaker plants increase evening factors. Enables time-based carbon attribution for EV charging, data centers, demand response programs.

Hourly emission factors

Coal Retirement Impact Modeling

Model scenario: Retire 500 MW coal plant (capacity factor 60%, emission intensity 0.95 tCO2/MWh) → Eliminates 2.5M tCO2/year. Replace with 300 MW gas + 200 MW solar → New emissions 0.6M tCO2/year. Net reduction: 1.9M tCO2/year (76% reduction).

Decarbonization scenarios

Renewable Integration and Curtailment

Track renewable generation curtailed due to grid constraints. Example: Wind farm generates 1,000 MWh but grid can only absorb 800 MWh → 200 MWh curtailed (20%). Report % curtailment, lost renewable revenue, transmission upgrade needs.

Curtailment tracked

SASB IF-EU Metrics Automation

Auto-generate disclosure: Gross global Scope 1 emissions, % coal/gas/nuclear/renewable in generation mix, grid emission factor, RPS (renewable portfolio standard) compliance. Footnotes cite EPA eGRID methodology.

SASB IF-EU compliant

Purchased Power Attribution

If utility purchases power from IPPs (independent power producers): Allocate emissions based on contracted MWh. Example: Purchase 500 MWh from wind farm (0.02 tCO2/MWh) vs 500 MWh from gas peaker (0.6 tCO2/MWh). Report Scope 2 from purchased power separately.

Purchased power tracked

Product Features for Electric Utilities & Power Generators

Use Carbon Data Uploader to import SCADA generation data by fuel type, apply emission factors, and calculate hourly grid emission intensity automatically. Learn more →

The Activity Calculator applies fuel-specific emission factors (coal, gas, oil, biomass) and calculates tCO2/MWh for utility grid reporting. Learn more →

Related Solutions

See our Carbon Accounting solution for end-to-end utility emissions tracking from power plant monitoring through renewable integration.

View solution

Electric Utilities & Power Generators Case Studies

How entities in this industry use NetNada to solve carbon accounting challenges.

Regional Electric Utility (5 GW capacity, 60% coal, 30% gas, 10% renewable)

Challenge

State mandate required 50% renewable energy by 2030. Needed baseline grid emission intensity and coal retirement pathway. Board required scenario analysis showing cost and emissions impact.

Solution

Deployed NetNada with hourly generation data import from SCADA. Calculated baseline: 0.72 tCO2/MWh. Modeled 3 scenarios: (1) Retire all coal by 2030, replace with solar+storage. (2) Retire coal by 2035, replace with gas+solar. (3) Convert coal to gas, add renewables.

Result

Selected Scenario 2: Retire 3 GW coal by 2035, add 2 GW solar + 1 GW gas + 500 MW storage. Projected grid intensity: 0.28 tCO2/MWh (61% reduction). Avoided $800M in stranded coal assets. Published 10-year decarbonization roadmap for investor confidence.

Wholesale Power Generator (2 GW gas, 500 MW wind)

Challenge

Corporate customers required hourly emission factors for Scope 2 market-based accounting. Some customers wanted 24/7 carbon-free energy matching, not just annual RECs.

Solution

Used NetNada to calculate hourly emission factors by plant. Wind farm: 0.02 tCO2/MWh (24/7). Gas plant: 0.42 tCO2/MWh but varies by load (part-load less efficient). Created customer portal showing hourly generation and emissions.

Result

Launched hourly matching PPA product: Customers pay premium for wind-heavy hours, receive credit for gas-heavy hours they avoid. 15% of revenue now from 24/7 CFE contracts. Differentiated from competitors offering only annual matching.

SASB Disclosure Topics for Electric Utilities & Power Generators

Material sustainability topics beyond emissions that investors and stakeholders expect disclosed per SASB standards.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

environment

Track Scope 1 emissions from power plants by fuel type (coal, gas, oil). Calculate grid emission intensity (tCO2/MWh) and report total GHG emissions, generation mix %, and renewable energy %.

Air Quality

environment

Monitor NOx, SOx, particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Report compliance with air quality standards and proximity to population centers.

Water Management

environment

Track water consumption for cooling (coal, gas, nuclear plants). Report wastewater discharge from coal ash ponds and once-through cooling systems impacting aquatic ecosystems.

Energy Affordability

social

Disclose average retail electricity rates, % customers with service disconnections, and programs for low-income customer assistance.

Grid Resilience

business model

Report grid reliability metrics (SAIDI, SAIFI), storm recovery times, and investments in grid hardening against climate impacts (extreme weather).

Coal Asset Transition Risk

business model

Disclose remaining useful life of coal plants, stranded asset risk under carbon pricing scenarios, and retirement timelines. Report transition plans and workforce retraining programs.

NetNada tracks all SASB material topics, not just emissions. Our platform supports disclosure across environmental, social, governance, and business model topics relevant to your industry.

Electric Utilities & Power Generators FAQs

Common questions about carbon accounting for this industry

How do you calculate grid emission intensity (emission factor) for an electric utility?
Grid emission factor = Total emissions (tCO2) ÷ Total generation (MWh). For each power plant: Fuel consumption (tonnes coal, cubic meters gas) × Fuel emission factor (tCO2/tonne coal = 2.42, tCO2/m³ gas = 0.002) → Plant emissions. Sum all plants → Total emissions. Divide by total MWh generated. Example: 10 million tCO2 from all plants ÷ 15,000 GWh = 0.67 tCO2/MWh. Report both location-based (actual grid mix) and market-based (if selling RECs to customers).
Should we report emissions from purchased power separately from owned generation?
Yes. Owned generation = Scope 1 (direct combustion at your power plants). Purchased power from other generators = Scope 2 (indirect, you buy electricity). If you purchase renewable energy and resell to customers: those RECs belong to the end customer (Scope 2 market-based), not to you. Report: (1) Scope 1 from owned plants by fuel type, (2) Scope 2 from purchased power, (3) Total delivered to customers (Scope 1 + Scope 2).
How do renewable energy credits (RECs) affect utility carbon accounting?
RECs represent renewable attributes separate from physical electricity. If you generate 100 MWh of wind and sell the REC: you report 100 MWh generation but cannot claim 'renewable' in your grid mix (Scope 2 location-based remains unchanged). If you buy RECs from others: Scope 2 market-based emissions reduced, but Scope 1 unchanged. Best practice: report both location-based (actual grid mix) and market-based (after REC transactions) emission factors.
What's the difference between average grid emission factor and marginal emission factor?
Average emission factor = Total annual emissions ÷ Total annual generation (e.g., 0.6 tCO2/MWh). Used for Scope 2 reporting. Marginal emission factor = Emissions from the next MWh if demand increases (usually gas peaker plant, 0.4-0.6 tCO2/MWh). Used for evaluating energy efficiency projects or EV charging impact. Marginal factor varies by time of day: daytime may be solar (0.02), evening may be gas (0.5). For carbon accounting, use average factor; for load reduction value, use marginal.
How do we account for nuclear power in our generation mix?
Nuclear power has zero Scope 1 combustion emissions but lifecycle emissions from uranium mining, enrichment, plant construction, and waste storage (~0.01-0.02 tCO2/MWh, similar to wind/solar). For utility Scope 1 reporting: nuclear = 0 tCO2/MWh (no combustion). For lifecycle carbon intensity: report 0.01-0.02 tCO2/MWh separately with methodology note. Nuclear counts toward renewable portfolio standards in some jurisdictions but not others (depends on regulation).

Track Power Generation Emissions and Grid Carbon Intensity

See how electric utilities calculate fuel-specific emission factors, model coal retirement pathways, and generate SASB-compliant disclosures for investors and regulators.

Book a Demo Start Free Trial