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The 2023 Utility Decarbonization Index

Published

9 mins ago

October 9, 2023

Selin Oğuz

Article/Editing:

Govind Bhutada

Data in this visualization comes from the NPUC Annual Utility Decarbonization Report 2023

The 2023 Utility Decarbonization Index

This was originally posted on the Decarbonization Channel. Subscribe to the free mailing list to be the first to see graphics related to decarbonization with a focus on the U.S. energy sector.

Electric utilities and the power sector have a pivotal role to play in decarbonizing the U.S. economy, especially with the electrification of sectors such as transportation.

So, where do the country’s largest electricity producers stand on the path to decarbonization?

In collaboration with our sponsor National Public Utilities Council, we present the 2023 edition of our Annual Utility Decarbonization Index. The index uses 2021 data (the latest available at the time of data collection) to track the comparative decarbonization progress of the 47 largest investor-owned utilities (IOUs) in the United States.

In the graphic above, we give a preview of the top 10 rankers.

Methodology of the Utility Decarbonization Index

The Utility Decarbonization Index uses the following six metrics to track decarbonization progress:

Fuel Mix
The share of low-carbon sources in a utility’s owned net electricity generation.
CO₂ Emissions Intensity
The amount of CO₂ emitted per megawatt-hour of owned and purchased net electricity generation.
Total CO₂ Emissions
The absolute amount of CO₂ emitted from owned and purchased net electricity generation.
CO₂ Emissions Per Customer
The amount of CO₂ emitted per retail, commercial, and industrial customer served.
Decarbonization Goals
An evaluation of the company’s interim greenhouse gas reduction and net-zero targets, with a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050 as baseline targets.
Low-Carbon investment
The share of planned capital expenditure for electricity generation dedicated to low-carbon sources.

All 47 IOUs in the Decarbonization Index are scored on a scale of one (lowest) to five (highest) for each of the six metrics, indicating whether they are trailing or leading compared to their peers. A utility’s final decarbonization score is an average of its scores across the six metrics.

The data for these metrics comes from company sustainability reports, quantitative ESG reporting templates from the Edison Electric Institute, and the Climate Disclosure Project’s Climate Change Questionnaire filings.

With the methodology in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 utilities that are leading the ranking in this year’s Utility Decarbonization Index.

Enjoying this content? Dive into the full ranking in the Annual Utility Decarbonization Report 2023:

The Annual Utility Decarbonization Index 2023

The 47 IOUs ranked in the Index are the largest electricity producers in the country, together representing over 58% of U.S. electricity generation in 2021 and serving 68% of all US. electric customers. Therefore, the decarbonization of these utilities can have a massive impact on the power sector and other electricity-consuming sectors.

However, it’s important to note that a score of five on the Utility Decarbonization Index does not indicate full decarbonization or net-zero emissions. Rather, it indicates that the utility is leading in decarbonization relative to its peers.

Here are the top 10 IOUs in this year’s ranking:

Rank	Company	Decarbonization score
#1	Constellation Energy (Exelon)	4.8
#2	Avangrid	4.8
#3	Public Service Enterprise Group	4.6
#4	Pacific Gas and Electric	4.5
#5	Edison International (EIX)	4.5
#6	Avista Utilities	4.2
#7	NextEra Energy	4.2
#8	Algonquin Power & Utilities	4.0
#9	Puget Sound Energy (PSE)	4.0
#10	Consolidated Edison	3.9

Constellation Energy, a newly formed subsidiary of Exelon, tops this year’s Decarbonization Index along with Avangrid. Constellation is the largest low-carbon electricity producer among the 47 IOUs, with 80% of its owned net electricity generation coming from nuclear power plants. The company also had the lowest CO₂ emissions intensity of all utilities in the Index.

Avangrid, a clean energy-focused utility operating in the Northeast, ties for first place thanks to its low-carbon fuel mix and ambitious decarbonization targets to achieve carbon neutrality in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

Download the 2023 Annual Utility Decarbonization Report

Are you interested in seeing the rest of the rankings? Check out the full report!

In addition to the Decarbonization Index, there’s much more to unpack, including:

Six reasons why utilities must decarbonize
Highlights and challenges to decarbonization from 2021–2022
The data behind the six individual metrics
The U.S. Utilities ESG report card
Decarbonization strategies for U.S. utilities

Download the 2023 NPUC Annual Utility Decarbonization Report and find out everything you need to know about utility decarbonization.

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Visualized: Air Quality and Pollution in 50 Capital Cities

This visual compares air quality in 50 capital cities around the world by average PM2.5 concentrations in 2022.

Creator Program

Published

2 days ago

October 7, 2023

Pallavi Rao

A chart comparing air quality in 50 capital cities around the world by average PM2.5 concentrations in 2022.

Comparing Air Quality and Pollution in 50 Capital Cities

We know bad air quality when we breathe it in—but how does it measure and compare across different cities?

To assess air quality, agencies measure the amount of particulate matter in an area to arrive at a number the resident population is breathing in over a period of time.

ℹ️ Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a complex mix of solids and aerosols and is defined by diameter for regulatory purposes. Particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM10) are inhalable and can induce adverse health effects.

In this case, Planet Anomaly visualized the concentration of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) in 50 select capital cities across the globe, using data from IQAir’s 2022 World Air Quality Report.

The report applied population-based adjustments to standardize its results and calculated an annual average of the data. If a city exceeded the WHO safety guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) for annual average PM2.5 levels, it implied potential health risks for its residents.

Ranked: Capital Cities With the Best and Worst Air Quality

At the top of the list with the best air quality, Canberra, the capital of Australia, had an average PM2.5 level of 2.8 μg/m³ in 2022. Vehicle emissions and dust storms are the few sources of air pollutants in the city.

However, while Canberra did well in 2022, it had some of the worst air quality in 2020 when bushfire smoke blackened the skies.

Here’s the full list of all 116 capital cities measured by IQAir’s report, ranked by air quality from best to worst.

Rank	City	Country	Region	2022 Average PM2.5 Concentration
1	Canberra	🇦🇺 Australia	Oceania	2.8
2	Hamilton	🇧🇲 Bermuda	North America	3.0
3	Reykjavik	🇮🇸 Iceland	Europe	3.3
4	San Juan	🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	North America	3.3
5	Noumea	🇳🇨 New Caledonia	Oceania	3.5
6	Saint George’s	🇬🇩 Grenada	Central America	3.8
7	Tallinn	🇪🇪 Estonia	Europe	4.8
8	Port of Spain	🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago	Central America	5.0
9	Helsinki	🇫🇮 Finland	Europe	5.5
10	Cape Town	🇿🇦 South Africa	Africa	6.7
11	Ottawa	🇨🇦 Canada	North America	6.8
12	Stockholm	🇸🇪 Sweden	Europe	6.8
13	Oslo	🇳🇴 Norway	Europe	6.9
14	Paramaribo	🇸🇷 Suriname	South America	7.0
15	Dublin	🇮🇪 Ireland	Europe	7.1
16	La Paz	🇧🇴 Bolivia	South America	7.3
17	Lisbon	🇵🇹 Portugal	Europe	7.5
18	San Jose	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Central America	7.9
19	Phnom Penh	🇰🇭 Cambodia	Asia	8.3
20	Vaduz	🇱🇮 Liechtenstein	Europe	8.3
21	Copenhagen	🇩🇰 Denmark	Europe	8.7
22	Luanda	🇦🇴 Angola	Africa	8.8
23	Managua	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Central America	8.9
24	Panama	🇵🇦 Panama	Central America	9.0
25	Tokyo	🇯🇵 Japan	Asia	9.2
26	Madrid	🇪🇸 Spain	Europe	9.5
27	Kyiv	🇺🇦 Ukraine	Europe	9.5
28	London	🇬🇧 UK	Europe	9.6
29	Washington	🇺🇸 U.S.	North America	9.8
30	Taipei	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Asia	9.9
31	Amsterdam	🇳🇱 Netherlands	Europe	10.1
32	Tegucigalpa	🇭🇳 Honduras	Central America	10.2
33	Vienna	🇦🇹 Austria	Europe	10.5
34	Bern	🇨🇭 Switzerland	Europe	10.5
35	Brussels	🇧🇪 Belgium	Europe	10.6
36	Moscow	🇷🇺 Russia	Europe	10.8
37	Budapest	🇭🇺 Hungary	Europe	11.2
38	Montevideo	🇺🇾 Uruguay	South America	11.3
39	Nairobi	🇰🇪 Kenya	Africa	11.5
40	Podgorica	🇲🇪 Montenegro	Europe	11.8
41	Prague	🇨🇿 Czech Republic	Europe	11.9
42	Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	Europe	12.6
43	Rome	🇮🇹 Italy	Europe	12.6
44	Paris	🇫🇷 France	Europe	12.7
45	Georgetown	🇬🇾 Guyana	South America	12.7
46	Singapore	🇸🇬 Singapore	Asia	13.3
47	San Salvador	🇸🇻 El Salvador	Central America	13.4
48	Bratislava	🇸🇰 Slovakia	Europe	13.4
49	Pristina	🇽🇰 Kosovo	Europe	13.7
50	Ankara	🇹🇷 Türkiye	Asia	14.0
51	Buenos Aires	🇦🇷 Argentina	South America	14.2
52	Hong Kong	🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR	Asia	14.4
53	Tirana	🇦🇱 Albania	Europe	14.5
54	Vilnius	🇱🇹 Lithuania	Europe	14.5
55	Metro Manila	🇵🇭 Philippines	Asia	14.6
56	Bogota	🇨🇴 Colombia	South America	15.1
57	Warsaw	🇵🇱 Poland	Europe	15.3
58	Kinshasa	🇨🇩 DRC	Africa	15.5
59	Ljubljana	🇸🇮 Slovenia	Europe	16.2
60	Tbilisi	🇬🇪 Georgia	Europe	16.3
61	Nicosia	🇨🇾 Cyprus	Europe	16.4
62	Bucharest	🇷🇴 Romania	Europe	17.1
63	Kuala Lumpur	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Asia	17.6
64	Algiers	🇩🇿 Algeria	Africa	17.8
65	Bangkok	🇹🇭 Thailand	Asia	18.0
66	Seoul	🇰🇷 South Korea	Asia	18.3
67	Guatemala City	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Central America	18.5
68	Baku	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	Asia	18.9
69	Sofia	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	Europe	19.1
70	Athens	🇬🇷 Greece	Europe	19.2
71	Tel Aviv-Yafo	🇮🇱 Israel	Middle East	19.5
72	Dakar	🇸🇳 Senegal	Africa	20.4
73	Colombo	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Asia	20.9
74	Astana	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	Asia	21.4
75	Ashgabat	🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	Asia	21.6
76	Mexico City	🇲🇽 Mexico	North America	22.1
77	Belgrade	🇷🇸 Serbia	Europe	22.1
78	Zagreb	🇭🇷 Croatia	Europe	22.4
79	Abidjan	🇨🇮 Ivory Coast	Africa	22.5
80	Chisinau	🇲🇩 Moldova	Europe	22.6
81	Antananarivo	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Africa	23.7
82	Yangon	🇲🇲 Myanmar	Asia	24.3
83	Lusaka	🇿🇲 Zambia	Africa	24.6
84	Lima	🇵🇪 Peru	South America	25.6
85	Santiago	🇨🇱 Chile	South America	25.8
86	Skopje	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	Europe	26.6
87	Vientiane	🇱🇦 Laos	Asia	27.6
88	Bishkek	🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	Asia	29.0
89	Beijing	🇨🇳 China	Asia	29.8
90	Accra	🇬🇭 Ghana	Africa	30.1
91	Ulaanbaatar	🇲🇳 Mongolia	Asia	30.6
92	Addis Ababa	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Africa	31.3
93	Yerevan	🇦🇲 Armenia	Asia	31.4
94	Sarajevo	🇧🇦 Bosnia Herzegovina	Europe	32.4
95	Tashkent	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	Asia	33.5
96	Tehran	🇮🇷 Iran	Asia	36.1
97	Jakarta	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Asia	36.2
98	Kampala	🇺🇬 Uganda	Africa	39.6
99	Hanoi	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Asia	40.1
100	Islamabad	🇵🇰 Pakistan	Asia	40.6
101	Kathmandu	🇳🇵 Nepal	Asia	40.7
102	Doha	🇶🇦 Qatar	Middle East	41.8
103	Kigali	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Africa	44.0
104	Khartoum	🇸🇩 Sudan	Africa	44.6
105	Riyadh	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	Middle East	46.2
106	Abuja	🇳🇬 Nigeria	Africa	46.5
107	Cairo	🇪🇬 Egypt	Africa	47.4
108	Dushanbe	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	Asia	47.7
109	Abu Dhabi	🇦🇪 UAE	Middle East	48.0
110	Kuwait City	🇰🇼 Kuwait	Middle East	57.5
111	Ougadougou	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	Africa	63.0
112	Dhaka	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	Asia	65.8
113	Manama	🇧🇭 Bahrain	Middle East	66.6
114	Baghdad	🇮🇶 Iraq	Asia	86.7
115	New Delhi	🇮🇳 India	Asia	89.1
116	N’Djamena	🇹🇩 Chad	Africa	89.7

Hamilton, Bermuda (3.8 μg/m³) and Reykjavik, Iceland (3.3 μg/m³) rank second and third respectively, followed by three more capitals on island nations. In fact, nine of the top 10 capitals are situated directly on a coastline and take advantage of ocean breezes that can act as air filters.

Ranked 8th, the Port of Spain (capital of Trinidad & Tobago) is the last city whose air quality is considered safe (5.0 μg/m³) by the WHO.

From a broader perspective, fewer than 10% of all countries have air quality that meets safety guidelines.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the list with the worst air quality, Chad’s capital city N’Djamena, recorded a PM2.5 concentration of nearly 90 μg/m³ per day in 2022—almost 18x the recommended WHO safety guideline.

Air Quality Correlates With Countries’ Income Levels

Perhaps the most striking feature of the rankings is how air quality worsens with countries that are in the low and middle-income categories and improves in high income countries.

As an example, compare the distribution of the ranks of capital cities in Asia (generally lower and middle income countries) versus capitals in Europe (general high income countries).

Air Quality Ranks	Cities in Asia	Cities in Europe
Top 20	3.33%	20.51%
20–40	6.67%	28.21%
40–60	13.33%	28.21%
60–80	23.33%	17.95%
80–100	36.67%	5.13%
100–116	16.67%	0.00%

The majority of European capital cities are ranked 20–60 versus Asian capitals which are mostly ranked 60–100.

Lower and middle income countries have larger structural economic concerns and many of them are still in the process of transitioning away from polluting materials that affect air quality.