Carbon intensity of electricity — all countries

Carbon intensity of electricity — North America

Carbon intensity of electricity in North America in 2024 — 359 g/kWh. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 35.7%.

2024 359 g/kWh −1.54% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 562 g/kWh2001
Period minimum 359 g/kWh2024

Trend over time

2000–2024 · grams CO₂ per kWh

Carbon intensity of electricity — North America, 2000–20243004005006002000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 558 g/kWh2001: 562 g/kWh2002: 553 g/kWh2003: 560 g/kWh2004: 554 g/kWh2005: 554 g/kWh2006: 546 g/kWh2007: 549 g/kWh2008: 541 g/kWh2009: 516 g/kWh2010: 525 g/kWh2011: 504 g/kWh2012: 487 g/kWh2013: 485 g/kWh2014: 483 g/kWh2015: 460 g/kWh2016: 441 g/kWh2017: 427 g/kWh2018: 423 g/kWh2019: 403 g/kWh2020: 377 g/kWh2021: 389 g/kWh2022: 377 g/kWh2023: 364 g/kWh2024: 359 g/kWh
Change over the period: −199 (−35.71%) Average annual rate: -1.82 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: North America

North America 359 g/kWh
World computed 472 g/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity — North America, by year North America All countries CSV XLSX
Year g/kWh Change Change, %
2024 359 −6 −1.54%
2023 364 −13 −3.35%
2022 377 −12 −3.04%
2021 389 +12 +3.15%
2020 377 −26 −6.43%
2019 403 −20 −4.78%
2018 423 −4 −0.94%
2017 427 −14 −3.17%
2016 441 −19 −4.2%
2015 460 −22 −4.63%
2014 483 −3 −0.54%
2013 485 −1 −0.28%
2012 487 −17 −3.45%
2011 504 −21 −4%
2010 525 +9 +1.68%
2009 516 −24 −4.5%
2008 541 −9 −1.55%
2007 549 +3 +0.61%
2006 546 −8 −1.42%
2005 554 −0 −0.06%
2004 554 −5 −0.96%
2003 560 +7 +1.24%
2002 553 −9 −1.6%
2001 562 +4 +0.66%
2000 558

About the indicator

Carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector per kilowatt-hour of generation. A single number into which the whole structure of generation folds: a coal plant gives about 820 grams per kilowatt-hour, a gas plant roughly 490, and nuclear, wind and solar single digits. The indicator therefore reads as a summary verdict on a power system and is especially useful for comparing countries with different generation mixes: one may have a lot of hydro and another nuclear, yet the result comes out close.

Important: Emissions from generating electricity are counted, without emissions from building the plants and extracting the fuel. Aggregates are weighted by generation and computed from 2000 onward.

Source: Yearly Electricity Data (Ember), license CC BY 4.0.