Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID)
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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 January 2009, the available editions of eGRID contain data for years 1996 through 2000, 2004, and 2005. 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. It includes downloadable eGRID subregion GHG output emission rates for calculating indirect CO2 emissions, summary tables, representational maps, and a recent EPA Emissions Inventory Conference paper, “Total, Non-baseload, eGRID Subregion, State? Guidance on the Use of eGRID Output Emission Rates.”
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[edit] History
eGRID2007 Version 1.1 (the sixth edition of eGRID) was released by EPA on January 28, 2009. It contains data year 2005 information configured to reflect the electric power industry’s current structure as of December 31, 2007, including plant ownership and operators, parent company affiliations, company mergers, and grid configurations. E. H. Pechan & Associates, Inc. (Pechan) has developed this and the previous five editions of eGRID for EPA since 1997. The fifth edition of eGRID, eGRID2006 Version 2.1, was released in April 2007; this year 2004 data are also included in eGRID2007 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 These editions are obsolete and have been replaced by the fourth edition.
[edit] Data Summary
eGRID data include emissions, different types of emission rates, electricity generation, resource mix, and heat input. eGRID data also include power plant identification, location, and structural information. The emissions information in eGRID2007 includes carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), 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 renewable methane, landfill gas and digester gas), wind, solar, and geothermal.
Data in eGRID2007 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 2004 and 2005, as well as U.S. generation and consumption data. The eGRID2007 Technical Support Document, Summary Tables (with regional map), and year 2005 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 2004 data, are contained in a ZIP file that can be downloaded from EPA’s eGRID website.
eGRID2007 data are also available from eGRIDweb (the data browser described above), which can be accessed directly from its own website or from EPA’s eGRID website, along with an eGRIDweb users manual.
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| eGRID Subregion Representational Map | 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 Part 70) and to the U.S. Energy Information Administration(EIA).
[edit] 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, and other GHG protocols; and were used as the starting point for the new international carbon emissions database, CARMA. EPA tools and programs such as Power Profiler, Climate Leaders, Portfolio Manager, 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.
[edit] External links
- EIA’s Electricity Database Files
- EPA's Acid Rain Program
- EPA’s Clean Air Markets - Data and Maps
- EPA’s Clean Energy Homepage
- EPA’s Climate Change Homepage
- EPA's Combined Heat and Power Partnership Homepage
- EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager
- Wikipedia’s eGRID article
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development
- World Resources Institute Homepage
- EPA’s eGRID website http://www.epa.gov/egrid
- eGRIDweb version 1.0 http://cfpub.epa.gov/egridweb/
