Insights

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

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

Visual Capitalist & NPUC

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Key Takeaways

  • PSEG has the lowest displayed emissions intensity, 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.

Key Takeaways

  • PSEG has the lowest displayed emissions intensity, 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

Unlike a league table, 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 1Scope 2Scope 3 CategoriesNet-Zero DecadeIntensity (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 LLCYesNo12050s0.50
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

⭐ Utility reported 2025 data. § 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.


PSEG, Avangrid, and PG&E stand out for low reported emissions intensity. PSEG’s displayed intensity rounds to 0.00 tCO₂e/MWh, while Avangrid and PG&E each report 0.08.

Meanwhile, renewables have reached new highs in U.S. electricity generation. The 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 not always equivalent. Avangrid sits in the 2030s group, while PSEG is shown in the 2050s and PG&E in the 2040s.

TransAlta reports the broadest Scope 3 coverage in the dataset, 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.