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Carbon intensity of electricity — all countries

Carbon intensity of electricity — United States

Carbon intensity of electricity in the United States in 2025 — 384 g/kWh. Ranked 49 in the world out of 91. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 36.7%.

2025 384 g/kWh +0.15% vs 2024
World rank 49of 91
Period maximum 610 g/kWh2001
Period minimum 384 g/kWh2024

Trend over time

2000–2025 · grams CO₂ per kWh

Carbon intensity of electricity — United States, 2000–20253004005006007002000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 608 g/kWh2001: 610 g/kWh2002: 601 g/kWh2003: 606 g/kWh2004: 602 g/kWh2005: 604 g/kWh2006: 595 g/kWh2007: 598 g/kWh2008: 591 g/kWh2009: 565 g/kWh2010: 571 g/kWh2011: 551 g/kWh2012: 533 g/kWh2013: 533 g/kWh2014: 529 g/kWh2015: 505 g/kWh2016: 483 g/kWh2017: 469 g/kWh2018: 463 g/kWh2019: 439 g/kWh2020: 412 g/kWh2021: 424 g/kWh2022: 410 g/kWh2023: 393 g/kWh2024: 384 g/kWh2025: 384 g/kWh
Change over the period: −223 (−36.73%) Average annual rate: -1.81 %
Carbon intensity of electricity — United States, by year United States All countries CSV XLSX
Year g/kWh Change Change, %
2025 384 +1 +0.15%
2024 384 −9 −2.31%
2023 393 −17 −4.26%
2022 410 −13 −3.16%
2021 424 +12 +2.93%
2020 412 −28 −6.31%
2019 439 −23 −5.01%
2018 463 −6 −1.37%
2017 469 −14 −2.96%
2016 483 −22 −4.27%
2015 505 −25 −4.63%
2014 529 −4 −0.76%
2013 533 +1 +0.13%
2012 533 −18 −3.22%
2011 551 −20 −3.56%
2010 571 +6 +1.03%
2009 565 −26 −4.45%
2008 591 −7 −1.19%
2007 598 +3 +0.51%
2006 595 −9 −1.48%
2005 604 +2 +0.32%
2004 602 −4 −0.64%
2003 606 +6 +0.95%
2002 601 −9 −1.51%
2001 610 +2 +0.39%
2000 608 — —

Northern America, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

CA Canada 191 US United States 384
Full table for all countries

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.

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