Ember Subnational Data Methodology

The Ember Subnational Data Methodology guide describes the data collection and calculation processes for electricity generation, capacity, and emissions across subnational regions in India and the United States.

• The Ember subnational dataset provides monthly and yearly data on electricity generation (GWh), power generation capacity (MW), emissions from electricity generation (ktCO2e), and carbon intensity (gCO2 per KWh). As of November 17, 2022, the dataset covers 36 states/union territories in India from 2019 onwards and 50 states in the United States from 2015 onwards, though the US data excludes capacity metrics.
• For India, Ember sources conventional fuel data (Coal, Hydro, Nuclear, Gas, Other fossil) from the Central Electricity Authority via the OPM Report Archive and the National Power Portal. Renewable fuel data is sourced from the Central Electricity Authority's Renewable Generation Reports and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Because MNRE historical time-series are not publicly available, Ember used the "Wayback Machine" and data from Andrew, R. 2022 to fill gaps.
• Electricity generation emissions are calculated by multiplying generation numbers by emissions factors from the IPCC 5th Assessment Report Annex 3 (2014). These factors include full lifecycle emissions, including upstream methane and manufacturing, converted to CO2 equivalent over 100 years. Specific intensities used include Coal at 820, Gas at 490, Other Fossil at 700, Wind at 11, Solar at 48, Bioenergy at 230, Hydro at 24, Other Renewables at 38, and Nuclear at 12 gCO2eqkWh-1.
• Ember identifies several caveats regarding emissions factors, noting that IPCC figures may not reflect regional fuel quality (e.g., lignite vs. anthracite), the short-term potency of methane (which is 86 times that of CO2), or efficiency improvements in newer thermal plants, particularly in China. Additionally, the emissions intensity of bioenergy is highly variable depending on feedstock and sourcing, and may in some cases exceed that of coal.

APA

Ember (n.d.). Ember Subnational Data Methodology. https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_subnational_data_methodology.pdf

Chicago

Ember. Ember Subnational Data Methodology. n.d. https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_subnational_data_methodology.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Ember Subnational Data Methodology |url=https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_subnational_data_methodology.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{emberndember, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Ember Subnational Data Methodology}}, institution = {Ember}, url = {https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_subnational_data_methodology.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }