Carbon intensity is a measure of how much CO2 is being produced per unit of electrical energy generated. The carbon intensity of electricity depends on the fuel used in generating that electricity and the efficiency of power generation and transportation. For example, consuming electricity generated from burning coal produces 910g of CO2 per kWh. Wind energy, and other renewables, doesn’t produce any CO2 per kWh of electrical energy.
Please note that carbon intensity does not take into account the lifetime emissions of the generation plant. For example, the emissions associated with building the wind farm is not incorporated into our calculation. Instead, only emissions associated with generating electricity are assessed.