Power sector carbon index sees double digit growth in solar power
Solar power generation had an astounding growth in 2018 compared to 2017
The Power Sector Carbon Index, developed by the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) tracks the environmental performance of U.S. power producers and compares current emissions to more than two decades of historical data collected nationwide. It provides a comprehensive picture of the carbon intensity of electricity production during the previous twelve months, as well as a summary of how much electricity is being produced by coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable sources.
The latest data revealed the following findings: US power plant emissions averaged 890 lb. CO2 per milliwatt hour (MWh) in the second quarter of 2018, which was down 5 percent from the same timeframe in 2017. The rolling annual average carbon intensity was 949 lb CO2 per MWh, which is 28 percent lower than the annual average in 2005. The total annual rolling CO2 emissions were 1,775 million metric tonnes, which was 27 percent lower than in 2005.
Below please find some of the highlights regarding the Index’s most recent results:
- Total generation was up 4% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2.
- Coal generation was down 8% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Coal represented 26% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
- Natural Gas generation was up 16% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Natural Gas represented 34% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
- Hydro generation was down 7% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Hydro represented 8% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
- Wind generation was up 9% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Wind represented 7% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
- Solar generation was up 24% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Solar represented 3% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
- Nuclear generation was up 6% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Nuclear represented 19% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
- Other generation was down 5% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Other generation represented 1% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
- Other Renewables generation was up 0% in 2018 Q2 when compared to 2017 Q2. Other Renewables represented 2% of total generation in 2018 Q2.
“Solar power generation had double digit growth this quarter compared to last year,” said Costa Samaras, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CMU. “There was a time where energy analysts just listed the fraction of power from solar as ‘about zero.’ That is clearly no longer the case.”
For the complete findings of the Index, please visit the Power Sector Carbon Index website.
Regarding Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, Inc.
Headquartered in Lake Mary, FL, MHPS Americas employs more than 2,000 people who design, build, install, monitor and service aero-derivative and heavy-duty natural gas, steam and geothermal turbines, generators, and environmental control systems throughout North and South America. MHPS Americas also collaborates with customers to deploy artificial intelligence, machine learning and low carbon technologies to take the cost and carbon out of the electric power value chain. MHPS Americas is subsidiary of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. PW Power Systems (PWPS) and Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) are wholly owned subsidiaries of MHPS Americas.
Learn more about the Revolutionary Energy of MHPS Americas by visiting their website.
How is the index calculated?
The Power Sector Carbon Index of the U.S. power sector is the ratio between the direct emissions generated from all electricity generation sources from the U.S. electricity sector in a given time period, and the total net electricity generation in that time period. The index is computed for yearly, quarterly and monthly time periods. Index values are given in pounds (lb) or kilogram (kg) of CO2 per megawatt-hour (MWh), representing the CO2 emissions intensity of electricity in a specific time period. Since 2005 is often used as a benchmark year for measuring progress made in reducing emissions, the index also provides the percentage change between the current value and the annual value in 2005.
Methodology:
CMU PSCI uses hourly measured CO2 emissions from the U.S. EPA Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) data compiled as part the Air Markets Program Data. The EPA collects emissions information from all U.S. Electric Generating Units (EGUs) which combustion coal, natural gas, fuel oil, wood or other refuse, and have a nameplate capacity greater than 25 MW. The emissions data is aggregated to monthly, quarterly, and annual levels to compute the monthly, quarterly, and annual Power Sector Carbon Index.
The net electricity generation data comes from the U.S. EIA Power Plant Operations Report (EIA-923). EIA-923 includes information on monthly fuel consumption and net electrical energy generation for every facility in the U.S. with a capacity of 1 MW or greater that is connected to the electric utility grid. Electricity technologies are classified into five broad categories: coal, natural gas, nuclear, renewable (wind, utility-scale solar photo-voltaic (PV), distributed solar PV, solar thermal, wood and wood-derived fuels, landfill gas, bio-eugenic municipal solid waste, other waste biomass, conventional hydroelectric, and geothermal plants), and other (all petroleum liquids, petroleum coke, other oils and gases, tires, municipal solid waste, waste heat, purchased steam or electricity, and any other categories that EIA reports as “Other”).
The analysis code for the Power Sector Carbon Index is available on GitHub.
