Friday, November 14th, 2025 | 10:30 – 11:50am | Location: 1605 Tilia St., Davis CA
Henry Richardson, Senior Analyst, WattTime
Join via Zoom (passcode: ucdenergy)
Join us for the UC Davis Energy & Efficiency Institute’s Fall 2025 Energy Seminar Series. These weekly Friday morning seminars feature leaders in energy and climate research, providing insights for students, professionals, and the public.
Understanding the Emissions of the Electric Grid: Implications for Actions and Carbon Accounting
Henry will provide an overview of how actions that affect the electric grid can increase or decrease emissions and how this impact varies by time and location. We will discuss marginal emissions data, how it is calculated, and its uses in decision making and research. Specifically, we’ll look at two main applications:
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How the data can be used to select the times for smart devices to consume electricity to minimize emissions
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How the data can be used to select the best locations to build clean energy to maximize decarbonization
We’ll review specific case studies of these two applications, including Boston University’s purchase of a wind project in North Dakota and research from the WCEC on heat pump timing optimization. Finally, the presentation will conclude with the implications for carbon accounting and the future of the GHG Protocol Scope 2.
Henry Richardson is a senior analyst at WattTime, an environmental tech nonprofit founded by UC Berkeley researchers. WattTime empowers individuals, companies, policymakers, and nations to slash emissions and choose cleaner energy. With roots in answering the simple but elusive question, “How clean is the electricity I’m using right now?”, WattTime pioneered Automated Emissions Reduction (AER), a technology that enables real-time cleaner energy choices. Combining the agility of a startup with the mission of a nonprofit, WattTime develops data-driven tools and policies that accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to a zero-carbon future.
