Frequently asked questions
Is PowerGridIQ free?
Yes. The platform is free to use and requires no signup or account. We believe baseline grid transparency should be openly accessible.
Where does your data come from?
From public grid operators and data portals, the EIA (United States), IESO, Hydro-Québec and AESO (Canada), ENTSO-E (Europe), AEMO (Australia), Transpower (New Zealand), Eskom (South Africa), and weather from Open-Meteo, among others. Every figure links back to its source, and our full approach is described on the Methodology page.
Is the data real-time?
For many regions, yes, live figures are fetched from public APIs and timestamped, and carry a ● badge. Other regions update several times per week (◑), and some without public feeds are shown as clearly labeled structural estimates (◐). The badge on each figure tells you which you're looking at.
How accurate are the estimates?
Structural estimates are baselines derived from operator annual reports, IEA/IRENA data, and historical patterns. They describe the approximate seasonal state of a grid rather than its exact current condition. We mark them clearly and never present an estimate as a live measurement.
Why do some regions show no live data?
Because no free, public, real-time feed exists for them. Japan's market data is restricted to licensed participants; parts of the Middle East publish only annual reports; ENTSO-E omits Swiss generation. We show the best available structural estimate and flag the gap rather than inventing a number.
What does "system-level room" mean?
It's our estimate of how much room a grid has at system level, roughly usable capacity minus estimated peak demand. It is a market-level screen, not capacity at the substation you would connect to: a market can look roomy while the specific bus you want has none available. Confirm local capacity with the utility.
How do you calculate carbon intensity?
By multiplying each fuel's share of the current generation mix by a standard emissions factor and summing the result. See the Carbon Intensity guide for a full explanation.
Can I use PowerGridIQ data in my own work or reports?
You can use it for research and planning. For anything formal or published, we recommend citing the original operator source (which we link) alongside PowerGridIQ, and noting whether a figure was live or estimated. Plant-level modeled outputs should not be cited as real plant records.
Who is PowerGridIQ for?
Data-center and AI-infrastructure teams, EV and fleet operators, industrial and commercial energy buyers, and energy investors and analysts, anyone who needs to compare grids quickly across regions.
How often is the site updated?
Live sources refresh as often as the operator publishes, typically hourly, and as frequently as every two to five minutes for some markets. Structural estimates are refreshed when new annual data is published.
I found an error, or I operate a grid you should track. How do I reach you?
We welcome corrections and new public data sources. Use the contact link in the site footer.