Magic Radar 2026: How Do U.S. Utilities Compare on Decarbonization?

Published

September 29, 2026 8:47 am

By

Ryan Bellefontaine

Design

• Abha Patil

The following content is sponsored by The National Public Utilities Council

Magic Radar 2026: How Do U.S. Utilities Compare on Decarbonization?

Key Takeaways

• PSEG has the lowest emissions intensity among the major investor-owned utilities in the U.S., followed by Avangrid and PG&E.

• Avangrid sits in the 2030s target group, the earliest decade shown in the dataset.

• TransAlta reports 11 Scope 3 categories, the broadest coverage shown.

The U.S. power sector is balancing rising electricity demand with the push toward lower-carbon generation. Emissions, targets, and disclosure practices therefore tell different parts of the story.

This graphic, in partnership with the National Public Utilities Council, shows the decarbonization profiles of 47 U.S. investor-owned utilities using data from EEI, CDP, and company sustainability reports.

A Broader View of Utility Decarbonization

The Magic Radar does not rank utilities. Instead, it combines emissions intensity, target timing, Scope 1 and 2 reporting, and the breadth of reported Scope 3 categories.

Here is a table that shows emissions intensity, reporting coverage, and net-zero goal decade for the 47 utilities.

UtilityScope 1 reportedScope 2 reportedScope 3 categories reportedNet-zero goal decadeEmissions intensity (tCO₂e/MWh)

AES CorporationYesYes52050s0.22

Algonquin Power & UtilitiesYesYes72050s0.21

Allete EnergyYesNo12040s0.40

Alliant EnergyYesYes02050s0.39

Ameren YesYes82040s0.59

American Electric Power §YesYes42040s0.47

Avangrid§YesYes52030s0.08

Avista UtilitiesYesNo12040s0.29

Berkshire Hathaway Energy YesNo12050s0.42

Black Hills CorporationYesYes4No net-zero target0.61

CenterPoint Energy§YesYes12030s1.14

Cleco Power LLCYesNo12050s0.5

Consolidated Edison§YesYes22050s1.57

Constellation Energy YesYes42040s0.12

Consumers EnergyYesYes92050s0.48

Dominion EnergyYesYes32050s0.27

DTE Energy CompanyYesYes52050s0.60

Duke EnergyYesYes52050s0.37

Edison InternationalYesYes72040s0.12

El Paso Electric YesYes02040s0.22

Emera§YesYes22050s0.49

Entergy YesYes82050s0.39

Evergy§YesYes22040s0.37

FirstEnergyYesYes52050s0.49

Fortis Inc.YesYes22050s0.27

Hawaiian Electric Industries YesNo32040s0.65

MGE EnergyYesYes22050s0.54

National Grid PLC§YesYes82050s0.23

NextEra EnergyYesYes2No net-zero target0.17

NiSourceYesYes22040s0.40

NorthWestern CorporationYesYes12050s0.43

NRG Energy§YesYes12050s0.87

OG&E EnergyYesYes1No net-zero target0.51

Otter Tail CorporationYesYes1No net-zero target0.60

Pacific Gas and Electric§YesYes52040s0.08

Pinnacle West CapitalYesYes12050s0.35

PNM Resources NoNo0N/AN/A

Portland General Electric YesYes12040s0.28

PPL Corporation YesYes42050s1.00

Public Service Enterprise Group§YesYes22050s0.00

Puget Sound Energy (PSE)YesYes42040s0.49

Sempra EnergyYesYes42050s0.21

Southern CompanyYesYes102050s0.39

TransAlta §YesYes112040s0.37

VistraYesYes52050s0.51

WEC EnergyYesYes52050s0.45

Xcel Energy YesYes42050s0.32

Methodology

×

Methodology

indicates the utility released 2025 data. § indicates purchased power is not included for the utility’s relevant emissions data. Values with this symbol are therefore not directly comparable on exactly the same reporting boundary. indicates the utility had not released full 2024 data when the data was collected this year.

PSEG, Avangrid, and PG&E stand out for low reported emissions intensity. PSEG’s rounded intensity is 0.00, but is precisely 0.0001 tCO₂e/MWh, while Avangrid and PG&E each report 0.08.

Separately, the California Energy Commission reports that PG&E-owned Diablo Canyon supplies about 17% of California’s zero-carbon electricity, adding context to the utility’s low reported emissions intensity.

Meanwhile, renewables have reached new highs in U.S. electricity generation. This radar shows how U.S. utilities differ within that transition.

Targets and Reporting Tell Another Story

Target dates vary widely, and their underlying commitments are subject to change each year. Some utilities net zero goals include scope 3 emissions, while others don’t.

Avangrid’s net zero goal is slated for the 2030s, while PSEG’s goal is set for 2050 and PG&E in the 2040s.

TransAlta reports the broadest Scope 3 disclosures with 11 categories, followed by Southern Company with 10. However, more categories do not automatically indicate greater transparency because not every Scope 3 category applies equally to every utility.

A Complex Transition in One View

The radar shows why no single metric tells the whole decarbonization story. Utilities can pair low emissions intensity with different target timelines, reporting approaches, and emissions trajectories.

Together, these measures provide a fuller view of the utility transition.

Related Topics: #energy #environment #power #electricity #emissions #decarbonization #utilities

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