Non-Residential Accounts - Pollution Calculator

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"Conventional" electricity generation creates harmful emissions. This calculator estimates the pollution generated by your electricity use. It will also help you consider ways to reduce, eliminate or offset those emissions.

Step 1. Electricity Supply

Your annual consumption kWh

To start, look at the emissions generated by your usage, when your electricity is supplied by the Standard Offer supplier.

Your supplier:

You are responsible for these emissions:
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) - "probably the most important climate forcing agent"²	lbs.
Nitrogen Oxide (NO_x) - "smog-forming chemical... an ingredient of acid rain"³	lbs.
Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) - "may cause permanent damage to lungs"³	lbs.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) - "reduces ability of blood to bring oxygen to body cells"³	lbs.
Mercury (Hg) - "can affect brain development" ⁴	mg
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - "can cause serious health problems such as cancer" ³	oz
10 micron Particulate Matter (PM10) - "nose and throat irritation, lung damage, bronchitis, early death" ³	oz

"Clean" electricity uses low- or zero-emissions generation sources to generate the electricity you use. To see what difference it would make to buy your electricity from a provider of Green Supply from renewable resources, select a different supplier from the box above.

Keep in mind that Green Supply products may still generate emissions - visit the Maine Green Power Menu to examine the mix of generation sources in these products.

Step 2. Clean Electricity through .

Notes

1. Annual Consumption: Look on your electricity bill to determine your annual consumption. If you have a small account and don't know your annual consumption, you can use the residential version of our calculator to figure your annual consumption based on the dollar amount of your monthly bill. For medium or large accounts, however, you'll need to figure out your annual consumption on your own (we can't calculate consumption based on the amount you pay per month because your pricing varies by month, time of use, peak demand, etc.).
2. Carbon Dioxide: Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions, Committe on the Science of Climate Change, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 2001. Page 13. Available online from the EPA web site.
3. Nitrogen Oxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Volatile Organic Compounds, Particulate Matter: The Plain English Guide To The Clean Air Act, United States Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/peg_caa/pegcaa11.html, May 13, 2002.
4. Mercury: Mercury and Health, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. http://www.p2pays.org/mercury/health.asp, June 23, 2004.

Notes

Additional Sources for Pollution Statistics