Carbon Intensity

Carbon intensity measures how much CO2 is emitted for each unit of electricity generated, usually in grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour. It depends on the generation mix: a grid running mostly on coal or gas has a high intensity, while one running mostly on hydro, nuclear, wind or solar has a low one. Ember's figures cover direct emissions from generation for a whole country over a year, not a single moment or a single power plant.

Worked Example

Germany's electricity had a carbon intensity of 334 gCO2/kWh in 2025. See the full figures.

Cite this page

APA 7

World Power Monitor. (2026). Carbon Intensity: What It Means. https://worldpowermonitor.com/glossary/carbon-intensity/

Plain text

World Power Monitor. Carbon Intensity: What It Means. Data as of 2026-09-21. https://worldpowermonitor.com/glossary/carbon-intensity/

BibTeX

@misc{wpm_glossary_carbon_intensity_2026,
  title = {{Carbon Intensity: What It Means}},
  author = {{World Power Monitor}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Data as of 2026-09-21.},
  url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/glossary/carbon-intensity/}
}

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Carbon Intensity

Worked Example

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