US EnergyData

Carbon intensity measures the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted per unit of electricity generation.
Electricity source
1990
2024
Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Electric Power Industry Report
Note: Solar figures shown here are utility-scale only — facilities of 1 MW or greater, as reported by the EIA.

What this data measures

A scatterplot of the carbon intensity of electricity generation versus the natural gas share of generation, for each US state. This illustrates how increased natural gas use has lowered emissions intensity in many states.

How this data is constructed

Carbon intensity data come from the EIA State Electricity Profiles. Natural gas generation shares are computed from Form EIA-923 data. Each dot represents one state in the selected year.

Source
U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Electricity Profiles
Date range
1990–2024
Unit
lbs CO₂/MWh (carbon intensity) vs share of generation from natural gas (%)
Last updated
Fall 2025
Next update
Annual — expected fall 2026