Exploring EIA Grid Monitor Data

And looking at California Emissions

Thanks to the EIA's Hourly Grid Monitor Database, we can learn a lot more about how our grids are changing. Given the fact that California is rapidly electrifying transportation and heating, and since these are new loads, I wondered if we might be seeing an increase in emissions. Indeed, between 2021 and 2022, CA increased its aggregate demand by around six gigawatt hours, or nearly 3%. And yet, the total emissions fell in California by 1.2 million tons, or around a half a percent. While nearly every hour of the year saw an increase in consumption (9-12 pm being the exception), every hour of the year also saw its collective emissions rate fall.

As far as I can tell, the reason for the improvement is that we are cleaning our baseload power (less coal, more hydro and nuclear) and adding new renewables to the mix (nearly 3 gigawatt hours of utility scale solar more in 2022 than 2021).

If you buy a new EV and want to match its charging to new clean energy being produced, your best bet is still to charge in the middle of the day. And while we may be approaching "peak clean" in the middle of the day in CA, shifting loads to those hours will help ensure that as little solar as possible is curtailed.