Which Australian state has the lowest carbon intensity?

Tasmania (TAS1) consistently has the lowest grid carbon intensity at approximately 0.14 tCO₂/MWh due to its hydro-dominated generation fleet. South Australia also achieves very low intensity during periods of high wind and solar penetration.

What is the difference between location-based and market-based Scope 2 emissions?

Location-based Scope 2 uses an annual average emission factor for your grid region. Market-based (time-matched) Scope 2 matches your consumption intervals to the actual grid carbon intensity at each point in time, rewarding organisations that consume during low-carbon periods.

Australian Grid Carbon Intensity

Name: Australian Grid Carbon Intensity
Creator: gridIQ

Real-time grid emission intensity across all six Australian energy regions, calculated every 30 minutes from AEMO generation mix data.

New South Wales

NSW · NSW1

Largest NEM region by demand. Mix of coal, gas, and growing solar and wind capacity.

Victoria

VIC · VIC1

Brown coal transition hub with significant wind generation across western Victoria.

South Australia

SA · SA1

Highest renewable penetration in the NEM. Frequent negative-emission intervals.

Queensland

QLD · QLD1

Diverse fleet — black coal baseload with rapidly growing large-scale solar.

Tasmania

TAS · TAS1

Hydro-dominated grid. Regularly achieves 100% renewable generation intervals.

Western Australia

WA · WA1

Separate WEM market. Gas-dominant with growing wind and solar penetration.

Fundamentals

What is grid carbon intensity?

Grid carbon intensity measures the average greenhouse gas emissions produced per megawatt-hour of electricity generated (tCO₂/MWh). It varies throughout the day as the mix of generation sources — coal, gas, hydro, wind, solar, and battery — changes in response to demand, weather, and market conditions.

When renewable generation dominates (typically midday in regions with high solar penetration), grid intensity can drop close to zero. When coal or gas plants ramp up to meet evening peaks or compensate for low renewable output, intensity rises sharply. Understanding these patterns is essential for organisations targeting real emissions reductions rather than reporting averages.

Methodology

How gridIQ calculates carbon intensity

gridIQ calculates carbon intensity using emission factors for each fuel type applied to AEMO's real-time generation mix data. Every 30 minutes, we take the output of each generator in a region, multiply by its fuel-specific emission factor, sum the total emissions, and divide by total generation.

intensity = Σ (generationi × emission_factori) / Σ generationi

Generator-to-fuel-type mappings cover approximately 200 DUIDs in the NEM and all WEM facility codes. Emission factors are based on published National Greenhouse Accounts factors and generator-specific data where available.

Reference

Emission factors by fuel type

Black coal

0.88tCO₂/MWh

Brown coal

1.22tCO₂/MWh

CCGT (combined cycle gas)

0.49tCO₂/MWh

OCGT (open cycle gas)

0.65tCO₂/MWh

Gas (other)

0.57tCO₂/MWh

Wind

0.00tCO₂/MWh

Solar

0.00tCO₂/MWh

Hydro

0.00tCO₂/MWh

Battery

0.00tCO₂/MWh

Brown coal has the highest emission factor at 1.22 tCO₂/MWh — roughly 40% more than black coal and nearly 2.5 times combined-cycle gas. This is why Victoria's grid intensity is consistently the highest in Australia despite growing wind capacity.

Regional Comparison

Carbon intensity by region

Average grid carbon intensity varies enormously across Australian regions, driven by the dominant fuel type in each state's generation fleet:

TAS1 — Tasmania

Hydro-dominated. Lowest in Australia.

~0.14

SA1 — South Australia

High wind/solar. Can drop below 0.05 midday.

~0.25

VIC1 — Victoria

Brown coal baseload. Highest in Australia.

~0.85

NSW1 — New South Wales

Black coal dominant with growing renewables.

~0.70

QLD1 — Queensland

Black coal base, offset by large-scale solar.

~0.72

WA1 — Western Australia

Gas-heavy fleet. Moderate intensity.

~0.55

Scope 2 Reporting

Dual-method Scope 2 emissions

The GHG Protocol defines two methods for calculating Scope 2 (purchased electricity) emissions. gridIQ provides both:

Location-based

Uses an annual average emission factor published by DCCEEW for your grid region. Simple to calculate but masks daily and seasonal variation. Does not reward load shifting or renewable procurement.

Time-matched market-based

Matches each 30-minute consumption interval to the actual grid carbon intensity at that point in time. Reflects real operating conditions and rewards organisations that shift load to low-carbon periods.

Under the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS), mandatory from FY2025 for large companies, robust Scope 2 methodology is essential. Read our detailed guide on time-matched Scope 2 or learn about ASRS compliance requirements.

Practical Impact

Why time of use matters for emissions

The difference between consuming electricity at midday versus 7pm can be dramatic. In South Australia on a sunny, windy day, midday carbon intensity might drop below 0.05 tCO₂/MWh. By evening, with gas peakers ramping up and solar generation gone, intensity can exceed 0.50 tCO₂/MWh — a tenfold increase.

For organisations consuming 5,000 MWh or more per year, shifting even a portion of load to low-intensity periods can materially reduce reported Scope 2 emissions — and the business case for on-site solar, battery storage, and load scheduling.

Each region page shows current intensity, 7-day historical trends, generation mix breakdown, and the emission factors used in the calculation. All data is updated every 30 minutes. See how emissions relate to wholesale costs on our live electricity prices page, plan ahead with pre-dispatch price forecasts, or estimate your Scope 2 emissions with our free Scope 2 calculator.

Track carbon intensity across all regions

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