Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID)
Encyclopedia
The Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) is a comprehensive source of data on the environmental characteristics of almost all electric power
generated in the United States. eGRID is issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
As of May 2011, the available editions of eGRID contain data for years 2007, 2005, and 2004 (all in eGRID2010) as well as archived data for years 1996 through 2000. eGRID is unique in that it links air emissions data with electric generation data for United States power plants.
eGRIDweb version 1.0 was released on April 27, 2009 by the U.S. EPA. This user friendly web application allows users to select, view, and export eGRID2007 electric generation and emissions data for years 2005 and 2004. The application includes downloadable eGRID subregion GHG total and non-baseload output emission rates for calculating indirect CO2 emissions, respectively; summary tables, representational maps, and a recent paper, “The Value of eGRID and eGRIDweb to GHG Inventories”.
’s current structure as of December 31, 2010, including plant ownership and operators, parent company affiliations, company mergers, and grid configurations. TranSystems|E.H. Pechan, formerly E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc has developed this and the previous six editions of eGRID for EPA since 1997.
eGRID2007 Version 1.1 (the sixth edition of eGRID) was released by EPA on January 28, 2009 and the fifth edition of eGRID, eGRID2006 Version 2.1, was released in April 2007; both years of data are included in eGRID2010 Version 1.1. The fourth edition of eGRID, eGRID2002 Version 2.01, was released in May 2003 and contains data for years 1996 through 2000; it can be downloaded from the eGRID website’s Archive page. The first through third editions of eGRID contained data years 1996 through 1998. These editions are obsolete and have been replaced by the fourth edition.
, resource mix, and heat input. eGRID data also include plant
identification, location, and structural information. The emissions information in eGRID2010 includes carbon dioxide
(CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide
(SO2), methane
(CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide equivalent
(CO2e), and mercury
(Hg). CO2, CH4, and N2O are greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to global warming
or climate change
. NOx and SO2 contribute to unhealthy air quality and acid rain
in many parts of the country. Hg is a toxic pollutant that can adversely affect exposed nervous systems. 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
.
Data in eGRID2010 are presented in three Excel workbooks. The first workbook contains data at the boiler
, generator
and plant
levels. The second workbook presents aggregated data by state, electric generating company, parent company, power control area, eGRID subregion, NERC region, and the U.S. The third workbook contains State import-export data for years 2004 and 2005, as well as U.S. generation and consumption data. The eGRID2010 Technical Support Document, File Structure, Summary Tables (with regional map), and GHG Annual Output Emission Rates for CO2, CH4, and N2O (for GHG inventory and registry work) are included in Adobe PDF files. These files, along with year 2005 and 2004 data, are contained in a ZIP
file that can be downloaded from EPA’s eGRID website.
eGRID2007 data are also available from eGRIDweb version 1.0, the user friendly web application, which can be accessed directly from its own website or from its own website or from EPA’s eGRID website, along with the eGRIDweb Users Manual.
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).
, California’s Mandatory GHG emissions reporting program (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 2007 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.
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
generated in the United States. eGRID is issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
As of May 2011, the available editions of eGRID contain data for years 2007, 2005, and 2004 (all in eGRID2010) as well as archived data for years 1996 through 2000. eGRID is unique in that it links air emissions data with electric generation data for United States power plants.
eGRIDweb version 1.0 was released on April 27, 2009 by the U.S. EPA. This user friendly web application allows users to select, view, and export eGRID2007 electric generation and emissions data for years 2005 and 2004. The application includes downloadable eGRID subregion GHG total and non-baseload output emission rates for calculating indirect CO2 emissions, respectively; summary tables, representational maps, and a recent paper, “The Value of eGRID and eGRIDweb to GHG Inventories”.
History
eGRID2010 Version 1.1 (the seventh edition of eGRID) was released by EPA on May 20, 2011. It contains the complete release of year 2007 data, as well as data files for years 2005 and 2004 data. Data for year 2007 were configured to reflect the electric power industryElectrical power industry
The electric power industry provides the production and delivery of electric energy, often known as power, or electricity, in sufficient quantities to areas that need electricity through a grid connection. The grid distributes electrical energy to customers...
’s current structure as of December 31, 2010, including plant ownership and operators, parent company affiliations, company mergers, and grid configurations. TranSystems|E.H. Pechan, formerly E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc has developed this and the previous six editions of eGRID for EPA since 1997.
eGRID2007 Version 1.1 (the sixth edition of eGRID) was released by EPA on January 28, 2009 and the fifth edition of eGRID, eGRID2006 Version 2.1, was released in April 2007; both years of data are included in eGRID2010 Version 1.1. The fourth edition of eGRID, eGRID2002 Version 2.01, was released in May 2003 and contains data for years 1996 through 2000; it can be downloaded from the eGRID website’s Archive page. The first through third editions of eGRID contained data years 1996 through 1998. These editions are obsolete and have been replaced by the fourth edition.
Data Summary
eGRID data include emissions, different types of emission rates, electricity generationElectricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
, resource mix, and heat input. eGRID data also include plant
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
identification, location, and structural information. The emissions information in eGRID2010 includes carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
(CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
(SO2), methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
(CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide equivalent
Carbon dioxide equivalent
Carbon dioxide equivalent and Equivalent carbon dioxide are two related but distinct measures for describing how much global warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas may cause, using the functionally equivalent amount or concentration of carbon dioxide as the reference.- Global warming...
(CO2e), and mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
(Hg). CO2, CH4, and N2O are greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
or climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. NOx and SO2 contribute to unhealthy air quality and acid rain
Acid rain
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
in many parts of the country. Hg is a toxic pollutant that can adversely affect exposed nervous systems. eGRID's resource mix information includes the following fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
resources: coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
, gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, other fossil; nuclear resources
Nuclear fuel
Nuclear fuel is a material that can be 'consumed' by fission or fusion to derive nuclear energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available...
; and the following renewable resources: hydroelectric (water), biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
(including biogas
Biogas
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
, landfill gas
Landfill gas
Landfill gas is a complex mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill.-Production:Landfill gas production results from chemical reactions and microbes acting upon the waste as the putrescible materials begins to break down in the landfill...
and digester gas), wind
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
, solar
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
, and geothermal
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
.
Data in eGRID2010 are presented in three Excel workbooks. The first workbook contains data at the boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
, generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
and plant
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
levels. The second workbook presents aggregated data by state, electric generating company, parent company, power control area, eGRID subregion, NERC region, and the U.S. The third workbook contains State import-export data for years 2004 and 2005, as well as U.S. generation and consumption data. The eGRID2010 Technical Support Document, File Structure, Summary Tables (with regional map), and GHG Annual Output Emission Rates for CO2, CH4, and N2O (for GHG inventory and registry work) are included in Adobe PDF files. These files, along with year 2005 and 2004 data, are contained in a ZIP
WinZip
WinZip is a proprietary file archiver and compressor for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, developed by WinZip Computing...
file that can be downloaded from EPA’s eGRID website.
eGRID2007 data are also available from eGRIDweb version 1.0, the user friendly web application, which can be accessed directly from its own website or from its own website or from EPA’s eGRID website, along with the eGRIDweb Users Manual.
| eGRID2010 egrid subregion Representational Map | eGRID2010 NERC Region Representational Map |
The primary data sources used for eGRID include data reported by electric generators to EPA’s Clean Air Markets Division (pursuant to 40 CFR
Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government of the United States.The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency...
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 RegistryCalifornia Climate Action Registry
The California Climate Action Registry was established by California statute as a non-profit voluntary registry for greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of the Registry is to help companies and organizations with operations in the state to establish GHG emissions baselines against which any future...
, California’s Mandatory GHG emissions reporting program (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 2007 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)
Renewable Portfolio Standard
A Renewable Portfolio Standard is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal...
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)
ICLEI
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, founded in 1990 as the 'International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives', is an international association of local governments and national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development...
, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), the Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute is an organization in the United States dedicated to research, publication, consulting, and lecturing in the general field of sustainability, with a special focus on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency. RMI was established in 1982 and has grown into a...
, the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
, 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.
See also
- Air pollutionAir pollutionAir pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
- Combined Heat and Power (CHP)CogenerationCogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
- Combined cycleCombined cycleIn electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
- Electric powerElectric powerElectric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
- Electric utilityElectric utilityAn electric utility is a company that engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major provider of energy in most countries. It is indispensable to factories, commercial establishments,...
- Electrical power industryElectrical power industryThe electric power industry provides the production and delivery of electric energy, often known as power, or electricity, in sufficient quantities to areas that need electricity through a grid connection. The grid distributes electrical energy to customers...
- Electricity generationElectricity generationElectricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
- External combustion engineExternal combustion engineAn external combustion engine is a heat engine where an working fluid is heated by combustion in an external source, through the engine wall or a heat exchanger. The fluid then, by expanding and acting on the mechanism of the engine, produces motion and usable work...
- Gas turbine
- Power stationPower stationA power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
- Renewable energyRenewable energyRenewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
- Steam turbineSteam turbineA steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
External links
- TranSystems|E.H. Pechan, formerly E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc
- EIA’s Electricity Database Files
- EPA’s Clean Air Markets - Data and Maps
- EPA’s Clean Energy Homepage
- EPA’s Climate Change Homepage
- EPA's eGRID paper “The Value of eGRID and eGRIDweb to GHG Inventories”
- EPA’s eGRID website (Data years 2007, 2005, and 2004)
- EPA's eGRIDweb Version 1.0
- EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager
- EPA's Acid Rain Program
- EPA's Combined Heat and Power Partnership Homepage
- Executive Order 13514
- Federal GHG Accounting and Reporting Guidance
- Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator
- Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM)
- Ozone Transport Commission (OTC)
- Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator
- Powerscorecard.org
- Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development
- World Resources Institute Homepage