Architecture
The Global Integrated Power Tracker is built on Global Energy Monitor’s eight power sector trackers: the Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, Global Solar Power Tracker, Global Wind Power Tracker, Global Hydropower Tracker, Global Geothermal Power Tracker, Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, Global Nuclear Power Tracker.
The trackers use a two-level system for organizing information, consisting of both a database and profile pages, hosted on GEM.wiki, with further information.
Research Process
The Global Integrated Power Tracker relies on various public data sources, including:
- Government data on individual power plants, country energy and resource plans, and government websites tracking plant permits and applications
- Industry data on facilities
- Reports by power companies (both state-owned and private)
- News and media reports
- Non-governmental organizations
A list of major data sources can be found here.
Whenever possible, power facility data is circulated for review to researchers familiar with local conditions and languages. Global Energy Monitor researchers perform data validation by comparing GEM’s dataset against proprietary and public data such as S&P Global’s World Electric Power Plant Database (WEPP) and the World Resource Institute’s Global Power Plant Database, as well as various company and government sources.
Update Process
The GIPT dataset is updated on a rolling basis after each new release of its underlying power trackers. For more information on those update cycles, please consult the methodology pages for coal, oil and gas, solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal, and nuclear.
Coverage
The GIPT dataset maintains the capacity thresholds of its underlying power trackers.
Nuclear data includes power units of any capacity. Coal, geothermal, and bioenergy data includes power units with capacities of 30 megawatts (MW) or more. Oil and gas data include power units with capacities of 50 megawatts (MW) or more globally, and 20 MW or more in the European Union and the United Kingdom. Hydropower data includes power plants with capacities of 75 megawatts (MW) or more.
Solar power data includes utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal facilities with capacities of 20 megawatts (MW) or more globally, 10 MW for Arabic-speaking countries, and partial coverage of phases between 1 MW and 20 MW. Wind power data includes on and offshore utility-scale wind facilities with capacities of 10 megawatts (MW) or more.
Status Definitions
Announced: Proposed projects that have been described in corporate or government plans or media releases but have not yet taken concrete steps such as applying for permits.
Pre-construction: Projects that are actively moving forward in seeking governmental approvals, land rights, or financing.
Construction: Site preparation and equipment installation are underway.
Shelved: Two years have passed with no action on a project after the project proposal.
Cancelled: A cancellation announcement has been made, or no progress has been observed for at least four years.
Operating: The project has been formally commissioned; commercial operation has begun.
Mothballed: The project is disused, but not dismantled.
Retired: The project has been decommissioned or dismantled; this term is also used if the plant has been destroyed by war.
Technology Types
Coal: units consist of a boiler and turbine, and several units may make up one coal-fired power station. In some cases, units may combust multiple fuel sources in addition to coal.
Oil and Gas: units consist of a boiler and gas or steam turbines, or internal combustion engines, and several units may make up one power station. In some cases, units may combust multiple fuel sources in addition to gas.
Geothermal: units include flash steam, dry steam, binary cycle, and others.
Bioenergy: units may combust multiple fuel sources in addition to bioenergy. The data includes coal or gas plants that have announced plans to convert, or are in the process of switching, from coal or gas to bioenergy as a fuel source.
Nuclear: units include pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, fast breeder reactors, and others.
Hydro: units include conventional storage, run-of-river, and pumped storage facilities.
Solar: phases include photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal, also known as concentrated solar power (CSP), power plants.
Wind: phases including onshore and offshore, that utilize wind turbines to generate electricity from wind energy.
Mapping
To allow easy public access to the results, Global Energy Monitor worked with Earth Genome to develop a map-based and table-based interface. In the case of exact coordinates, locations have been visually determined using Google Maps, Google Earth, Planet Labs, or Wikimapia. For proposed projects, exact locations, if available, are from permit applications or other company documentation. If the location of a plant or proposal is not known, GEM identifies the most approximate location.
Wiki Pages
For each power plant, facility, and proposal, a wiki page is created on Global Energy Monitor’s GEM.wiki. A wiki page is a footnoted fact sheet. Wiki pages provide a repository for in-depth information and citations for the project. Under standard wiki convention, all information is linked to a published reference, such as a news article, company or government report, or a regulatory permit. In order to ensure data integrity in the open-access wiki environment, Global Energy Monitor researchers review all edits of project wiki pages.
Release Notes
The underlying power trackers may have their own release notes after an update. Please consult the individual methodology pages, for more information: coal, oil and gas, solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal, and nuclear.