Many of our daily activities generate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as driving a car, disposing of waste, turning on the lights, mowing our lawns, or heating our homes. It can be difficult to understand and measure how these daily activities result in GHG emissions. With this in mind, RCEA developed a user-friendly GHG calculator to help our customers measure and better understand the GHG emissions that result from the electricity consumed to power their homes and businesses.
The calculator provides the average annual GHG emissions based on consumed electricity and the GHG emissions intensity of RCEA’s mix of resources used to provide electricity over the course of an entire calendar year. This calculator does not take into consideration hourly and/or daily changes to electricity consumption and generation.
Be advised that your PG&E billing cycle may not match the calendar year. For example, a years’ worth of PG&E bills might provide your electricity usage from 12/15/2020 – 12/15/2021. If you’re calculating your GHG emissions for reporting or compliance purposes, we recommend contacting our staff so we can provide you with your electricity usage for the calendar year.
Instructions
Step 1
Enter your electricity usage. Your electricity usage will be measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Here are a few options for gathering your electricity usage:
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- Get your electricity usage from your PG&E bills (see sample #1). You can also get a breakdown of your usage by calendar month by looking at the “Electric Delivery Charges” page on your bill (see sample #2).
- Download your electricity usage by logging into your PG&E account
- Give our staff a call at (707) 269-1700
Step 2
Select the year that the electricity was used. Please be aware that every September, RCEA publishes its GHG emissions from the previous year. For example, by September 2023, RCEA will have published its 2022 GHG emissions, allowing our customers to calculate their GHG emissions for 2022.
Step 3
Select the RCEA electricity service option that you receive. Not sure what electricity product you receive? Here are a few options to find out:
- Find out by looking at your PG&E bill (see sample)
- Give our staff a call at (707) 269-1700
Step 4
Select whether you want your greenhouse gas emissions measured in pounds (lbs) or metric tons (MT).
Are Your Emissions Above or Below Average?
Now that you know the GHG emissions from your electricity usage, how do they compare with the 2021 RCEA average? Using the table below, simply compare your GHG emissions to the annual average emissions for different customer classes. How do your electricity usage and GHG emissions compare with the RCEA average for your customer class?
| Customer Class | Average Usage per Customer (kWh) | Average Emissions per Customer (lbs CO2e) | Average Emissions per Customer (MT CO2e) |
| Residential | 5,608 | 277 | 0.13 |
| Small Commercial | 11,536 | 570 | 0.26 |
| Large Commercial | 123,711 | 6,110 | 2.77 |
| Industrial | 194,448 | 9,610 | 4.36 |
The data presented in the table above is based on RCEA’s 2022 power mix and customer usage, and intended to give customers a benchmark for their GHG emissions.
RCEA Annual Procurement
RCEA’s sources of electricity include renewable and nonrenewable suppliers that can vary seasonally and year to year depending on factors such as market and weather conditions.
Click here to learn more information about RCEA’s power resources and electricity portfolio.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
GHGs absorb and trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, making the planet’s overall temperature warmer. There are three common GHGs that result from the energy sector, including:
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Methane (CH4)
- Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Each of these GHGs has a unique ability to absorb heat and a period of time in which they remain in Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, one pound of CO2 has a different effect than one pound of CH4. Although each of these GHGs is measured and monitored separately, Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e) is used to represent and bundle GHGs based on their Global Warming Potential (GWP), allowing them to be expressed as a single number rather than representing each of these GHGs separately. GWP is the relative potency of a GHG compared to CO2. Therefore, RCEA’s GHG calculator includes CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions; however, they’re aggregated and represented as CO2e for alignment with common industry practice.
Click here to learn more about CO2e and GWP from the California Air Resources Board.
How You Can Reduce Your Greenhouse Gas Emissions
As an RCEA customer, there are several ways you can minimize your GHG emissions from your electricity consumption:
Opt up to receive RCEA’s REpower+ electricity service, which provides 100% renewable and carbon-free energy. Interested in learning more?
Take advantage of RCEA’s many energy efficiency incentives, rebates, and programs to reduce the amount of electricity you use and save on electricity bills.
Transition to one of RCEA’s alternative rate structures that rewards you for scheduling your energy use at times of day when the availability of renewable energy resources, like wind and solar, results in lower GHG emissions.
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