What it is
Electricity Maps provides real-time grid carbon intensity data for 50+ countries using a flow-tracing model that accounts for electricity imports and exports between regions. The interactive map shows where and when electricity is cleanest, with historical data, forecasts, and API access. Used by Google for data center scheduling and Samsung for device-level carbon reporting.
Why we picked this
The carbon intensity of your electricity varies dramatically by hour and location. Electricity Maps makes this visible in real-time, enabling decisions like when to charge an EV, schedule computing workloads, or evaluate the true carbon footprint of electric heating. It answers the question 'what is powering my grid right now?' with data, not estimates.
Key takeaways
- Grid carbon intensity can vary 10x within a single day depending on renewable generation, weather, and demand patterns.
- The free app shows real-time carbon intensity for your region, with color-coded mapping making clean and dirty hours immediately visible.
- Electricity Maps' API is used by major tech companies to schedule energy-intensive computing during low-carbon grid periods, reducing operational emissions.