This dataset consists of a table containing the distribution of literature estimates of greenhouse gas emissions for the following electricity generation and storage technologies: biopower, coal, concentrating solar power, geothermal, hydrogen storage, hydropower, lithium-ion battery storage, natural gas, nuclear, ocean, oil, photovoltaic, pumped-storage hydropower, and wind. Quartile estimates of life cycle emissions factors in units of grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour of generation (g CO2e/kWh) are provided for the following life cycle stages: one-time upstream, ongoing combustion, ongoing non-combustion, one-time downstream, and total.
Literature estimates were compiled by the LCA Harmonization study and subsequent updates, as detailed in the factsheet which accompanies this dataset, https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/80580.pdf.
| Name | Size | Type | Resource Description | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Cycle Emissions Factors for Electricity Generation Technologies, by Life Cycle Phase | 28 KB | Data | A table containing the distribution of literature estimates of greenhouse gas emissions for the following electricity generation and storage technologies: biopower, coal, concentrating solar power, geothermal, hydrogen storage, hydropower, lithium-ion battery storage, natural gas, nuclear, ocean, oil, photovoltaic, pumped-storage hydropower, and wind. Quartile estimates of life cycle emissions factors in units of grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour of generation (g CO2e/kWh) are provided for the following life cycle stages: one-time upstream, ongoing combustion, ongoing non-combustion, one-time downstream, and total. | |
| Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electricity Generation: Update | 0 KB | Website | As clean energy increasingly becomes part of the national dialogue, lenders, utilities, and lawmakers need the most comprehensive and accurate information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from various sources of energy to inform policy, planning, and investment decisions. Since the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published original results from the Life Cycle Assessment Harmonization Project (Heath and Mann 2012), it has updated estimates of electricity generation GHG emissions factors as part of several recent studies. This fact sheet updates an earlier version (NREL 2013). |
Nicholson, Scott, and Garvin Heath. 2021. "Life Cycle Emissions Factors for Electricity Generation Technologies." NREL Data Catalog. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Last updated: January 21, 2025. DOI: 10.7799/1819907.