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

Which utilities lead on decarbonization?

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.

Utility	Scope 1 reported	Scope 2 reported	Scope 3 categories reported	Net-zero goal decade	Emissions intensity (tCO₂e/MWh)
AES Corporation	Yes	Yes	5	2050s	0.22
Algonquin Power & Utilities	Yes	Yes	7	2050s	0.21
Allete Energy	Yes	No	1	2040s	0.40
Alliant Energy	Yes	Yes	0	2050s	0.39
Ameren	Yes	Yes	8	2040s	0.59
American Electric Power §	Yes	Yes	4	2040s	0.47
Avangrid§	Yes	Yes	5	2030s	0.08
Avista Utilities	Yes	No	1	2040s	0.29
Berkshire Hathaway Energy	Yes	No	1	2050s	0.42
Black Hills Corporation	Yes	Yes	4	No net-zero target	0.61
CenterPoint Energy§	Yes	Yes	1	2030s	1.14
Cleco Power LLC	Yes	No	1	2050s	0.5
Consolidated Edison§	Yes	Yes	2	2050s	1.57
Constellation Energy	Yes	Yes	4	2040s	0.12
Consumers Energy	Yes	Yes	9	2050s	0.48
Dominion Energy	Yes	Yes	3	2050s	0.27
DTE Energy Company	Yes	Yes	5	2050s	0.60
Duke Energy	Yes	Yes	5	2050s	0.37
Edison International	Yes	Yes	7	2040s	0.12
El Paso Electric	Yes	Yes	0	2040s	0.22
Emera§	Yes	Yes	2	2050s	0.49
Entergy	Yes	Yes	8	2050s	0.39
Evergy§	Yes	Yes	2	2040s	0.37
FirstEnergy	Yes	Yes	5	2050s	0.49
Fortis Inc.	Yes	Yes	2	2050s	0.27
Hawaiian Electric Industries	Yes	No	3	2040s	0.65
MGE Energy	Yes	Yes	2	2050s	0.54
National Grid PLC§	Yes	Yes	8	2050s	0.23
NextEra Energy	Yes	Yes	2	No net-zero target	0.17
NiSource	Yes	Yes	2	2040s	0.40
NorthWestern Corporation	Yes	Yes	1	2050s	0.43
NRG Energy§	Yes	Yes	1	2050s	0.87
OG&E Energy	Yes	Yes	1	No net-zero target	0.51
Otter Tail Corporation	Yes	Yes	1	No net-zero target	0.60
Pacific Gas and Electric§	Yes	Yes	5	2040s	0.08
Pinnacle West Capital	Yes	Yes	1	2050s	0.35
PNM Resources	No	No	0	N/A	N/A
Portland General Electric	Yes	Yes	1	2040s	0.28
PPL Corporation	Yes	Yes	4	2050s	1.00
Public Service Enterprise Group§	Yes	Yes	2	2050s	0.00
Puget Sound Energy (PSE)	Yes	Yes	4	2040s	0.49
Sempra Energy	Yes	Yes	4	2050s	0.21
Southern Company	Yes	Yes	10	2050s	0.39
TransAlta §	Yes	Yes	11	2040s	0.37
Vistra	Yes	Yes	5	2050s	0.51
WEC Energy	Yes	Yes	5	2050s	0.45
Xcel Energy	Yes	Yes	4	2050s	0.32

Methodology

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.