That’s why WattTime has spent years researching and developing technology to identify which power plant is marginal, when, on each grid. We turn this into a real-time estimate and a 24-hour forecast, updated every five minutes. These data enable people to reduce the pollution impact of their electricity use.
Many devices like smart thermostats and electric vehicles use the WattTime signal to automatically time their electricity use to moments that don’t cause as much harm. (
We call it AER.) Other companies use these data to deliberately build new large energy-using facilities, like data centers, in places where they cause less harm. (
We call that emissionality.)
If your company is not yet optimizing devices, you can also start by measuring the impacts of electricity use in devices or at your facilities.
With enough collective action to avoid using electricity at the dirtiest times and from the most harmful power plants, we can speed up the closure of the plants that are most damaging.