Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database

History

Data summary

eGRID data include emissions, different types of emission rates, electricity generation, resource mix, and heat input. eGRID data also include plant identification, location, and structural information. The emissions information in eGRID include carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O),and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O are greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to global warming or climate change. NO_x and SO₂ contribute to unhealthy air quality and acid rain in many parts of the country. eGRID's resource mix information includes the following fossil fuel resources: coal, oil, gas, other fossil; nuclear resources; and the following renewable resources: hydroelectric (water), biomass (including biogas, landfill gas and digester gas), wind, solar, and geothermal.

eGRID2012 data is presented as an Excel workbook with nine data worksheets and a table of contents. The eGRID workbook contains data at the boiler, generator, and plant levels and aggregated data by state, power control area, eGRID subregion, NERC region, and U.S. The workbook also includes a worksheet that displays the grid gross loss (%).

eGRID2012 also contains the Technical Support Document (PDF), Summary Tables (PDF), Subregion GHG output emission rates (PDF) for CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O (for GHG inventory and registry work), NERC region Map (JPG), eGRID2012 subregion map (JPG), and release notes (TXT). These files are available as separate downloadable files or all of them are contained in a ZIP file, "all eGRID2012 files." The current eGRID version and all previous versions are available in a ZIP file, "all eGRID files (1996-2012)". This files can be downloaded from EPA’s eGRID website.

The primary data sources used for eGRID include data reported by electric generators to EPA’s Clean Air Markets Division (pursuant to 40 CFR Part 70) and to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Data use

eGRID data are used for carbon footprinting; emission reduction calculations; calculating indirect greenhouse gas emissions for The Climate Registry, the California Climate Action Registry, California’s Mandatory GHG emissions reporting program (Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, AB 32), and other GHG protocols; were used as the starting point for the new international carbon emissions database, CARMA. EPA tools and programs such as Power Profiler (which has been updated with eGRID year 2012 data), Portfolio Manager, the WasteWise Office Carbon Footprint Tool, the Green Power Equivalency Calculator, the Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator, and the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator use eGRID. Other tools such as labeling/environmental disclosure, Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) attributes are supported by eGRID data. States also rely on eGRID data for electricity labeling (environmental disclosure programs), emissions inventories, and for policy decisions such as output based standards. eGRID is additionally used by nongovernmental organizations for tools and analysis by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), the Rocky Mountain Institute, the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC), Powerscorecard.org, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative.

In 2010, Executive Order 13514 was issued, requiring Federal agencies to “measure, report, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect activities.” The Federal GHG Accounting and Reporting Guidance accompanied this order and recommended using eGRID non-baseload emission rates to estimate the Scope 2 (indirect) emission reductions from renewable energy.