What is the scope of the U.S. Electricity Baseline?
The Electricity baseline accounts for LCI data by region for electricity generation at various points along the supply chain. Users can select from electricity processes of four types:
- Electricity - FUEL - REGION: LCI per MWh of electricity produced in this region for the selected fuel type.
- Electricity; at grid; generation mix - REGION: LCI per MWh of electricity generated in this region across all fuel types.
- Electricity; at grid; consumption mix - REGION: LCI per MWh of electricity consumed in this region, accounting for net trade with other regions.
- Electricity; at user; consumption mix - REGION: LCI per MWh of electricity consumed in this region, accounting for losses from transmission and distribution.
The generation of electricity by fuel type accounts for the upstream supply of those fuels (e.g. natural gas, coal, nuclear, petroleum fuels).
What is the source of the data for upstream fuel supply LCI?
LCI data for fuel supply chains are included in the model as follows:
- GAS: Emissions from natural gas extraction and processing are sourced from Life Cycle Analysis of Natural Gas Extraction and Power Generation.
- OIL: Emissions from crude oil extraction, processing, and distribution of petroleum fuels are sourced from updated modeling based on that described in Updating the U.S. Life Cycle GHG Petroleum Baseline to 2014 with Projections to 2040 Using Open-Source Engineering-Based Models.
- COAL: Emissions from the mining, processing, and transportation of coal are sourced from Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Analysis Baseline for United States Coal Mining and Delivery.
- NUCLEAR: Emissions from the mining and processing of uranium for nuclear power plants are sourced from Role of Alternative Energy Sources: Nuclear Technology Assessment.
Additional details for each are included in the process metadata and the associated reports.
Is infrastructure included in the inventory?
For GAS, OIL, and COAL sources, LCI for power plant construction ARE included. These data are calculated using USEPA’s USEEIO model based on estimated power plant construction costs. Similarly, emissions for plant construction for SOLAR PV, SOLAR THERMAL, and WIND are calculated from publicly available reports and datasets. Plant constructiion for GEOTHERMAL is included in the utility inventory, and not tracked in a separate unit process. LCI from infrastructure for all other sources ARE NOT included at this time.
Electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure is outside of the scope.
Are transmission losses accounted for in the calculations?
Yes. Processes that are labeled as “at user” account for the transmission loss in that region, typically of around 5%.
How do I determine which region to use?
A lookup of the appropriate balancing authority can be found at https://
What impact categories/methods are intended to be used with the Electricity baseline?
The Electricity baseline is aligned with the Federal Elementary Flow List. As such, all FEDEFL compatible methods can be used, including inventory methods for water and energy resources.
How do I access other years or older versions of the database?
Prior released versions on the FLCAC can be accessed using the repository dropdown.
NETL maintains additional data vintages in JSON-ld beyond the one hosted on the FLCAC, linked here for your convenience. Note that there may be minor differences between published JSON-ld files and data that are published on the FLCAC.
- Cooney, G., Jamieson, M., Marriott, J., Bergerson, J., Brandt, A., & Skone, T. J. (2016). Updating the U.S. Life Cycle GHG Petroleum Baseline to 2014 with Projections to 2040 Using Open-Source Engineering-Based Models. Environmental Science & Technology, 51(2), 977–987. 10.1021/acs.est.6b02819
- Cutshaw, A., Carlson, D., Henriksen, M., Krynock, M., Jamieson, M., & James, III, R. (2023). Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Analysis Baseline for United States Coal Mining and Delivery. Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). 10.2172/2370100