Iowa Electricity Emission Factor 2023

EPA eGRID2023 Rev2 · 2 eGRID subregions · Very Dirty

Iowa's electricity grid has a CO₂e emission factor of 1087.6 lb/MWh (0.4933 kg/kWh) - 41% dirtier than the US average. The grid is 41% carbon-free and 29% renewable. These are the official EPA eGRID2023 values used for GHG Protocol Scope 2 location-based emissions reporting.

1087.6

lb CO₂e / MWh

0.4933

kg CO₂e / kWh

41%

Carbon-free

29%

Renewable

eGRID Subregions in Iowa

Iowa spans 2 eGRID subregions. Use the ZIP-level API to get the exact factor for each facility.

Subregion	Name	lb CO₂e/MWh	kg/kWh	Carbon-free	Rating
MROW	MRO West	926.552	0.4203	51.25%	Dirty
SRMW	SERC Midwest	1248.582	0.5663	31.6%	Very Dirty

Generation Mix

Solar1.2%

Wind37.6%

Nuclear7.8%

Hydro4.1%

Natural Gas13.1%

Coal35.2%

Biomass0.7%

Generation mix shown for MROW (primary subregion). See subregion pages for full breakdowns.

Electricity cost in Iowa

Latest monthly state-level average rate (EIA Form 861, 2026-04):

Sector	$/kWh
Residential	$0.1386
Commercial	$0.1026
Industrial	$0.0626
All sectors	$0.0876

State-level averages, not utility-specific tariffs. For exact pricing, check your utility's published rate schedule.

24-hour grid carbon profile

Average hourly CO₂e intensity across the last 7 days from Midcontinent ISO (IA's balancing authority). Red = dirtiest, green = cleanest. Data: EIA-930 (~24h lag).

Hours in local standard time. Swing: 1.22× between cleanest (11:00 local) and dirtiest (21:00 local).

Read full guide on hourly grid carbon intensity →

Derived metrics for Iowa

Carbon cost of electricity: $330 per tonne CO₂e (residential rate ÷ grid intensity)
Annual per-capita CO₂e from electricity: 6,485 kg/yr (15.4k kWh × grid factor)
10,000 mi/yr EV emissions: 1261 kg CO₂e (at 0.30 kWh/mi)
Same miles in gas car: ~4,000 kg CO₂e (400 g/mi baseline)
EV vs gas savings: 68% cleaner
Grid trend 2018-2023: -25.8% (cleaner)

kWh to CO₂ Calculator - Iowa

Enter electricity consumption (kWh):

Using Iowa average: 1087.6 lb CO₂e/MWh = 0.4933 kg/kWh. Source: EPA eGRID2023.

How to Use Iowa's Emission Factor for Scope 2 Reporting

For GHG Protocol Scope 2 location-based emissions reporting, multiply each facility's electricity consumption by the emission factor for its ZIP code's eGRID subregion. Facilities in different parts of Iowa may be in different subregions - use the API to get the exact factor by ZIP code.

curl "https://emission-factors.com/api/lookup?zip=YOUR_ZIP"

Compare with Other States

Arkansas

955 lb/MWh

Illinois

1030 lb/MWh

Kansas

1058 lb/MWh

Minnesota

927 lb/MWh

Missouri

990 lb/MWh

Montana

781 lb/MWh

Iowa

1088 lb/MWh

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Iowa's electricity emission factor?

Iowa's EPA eGRID2023 electricity emission factor is 1087.6 lb CO₂e per MWh (0.4933 kg per kWh). This is 41% dirtier than the US national average.

How do I calculate Scope 2 emissions for a Iowa facility?

Multiply the facility's annual kWh consumption by 0.4933 to get kg CO₂e. Divide by 1,000 for metric tonnes. For facilities spanning multiple Iowa subregions, use the emission factors API to get the exact factor by ZIP code.

How clean is Iowa's electricity grid?

Iowa's grid is 41% carbon-free and 29% renewable. At 1088 lb CO₂e/MWh, it is 41% dirtier than the US average of 770.9 lb/MWh.

Get exact emission factors by ZIP code

33,616 ZIP codes · All 27 eGRID subregions · CO₂e, NOx, SO₂, generation mix

Read the API docs · Scope 2 calculation guide