Electricity from a competitive market in life-cycle analysis

We propose that data from specific, contracted electricity production plants should be used for electricity consumption in life-cycle analysis, when electricity is purchased from a competitive market. Electricity may thereby contribute less to the sum of environmental load than when data of marginal or average plants are used. By this method, the potential of electricity supplied through the grid to be a part of ambitious industrial environmental policy is made visible. As shown on the Swedish market, a demand for deliveries from environmentally preferable plants can introduce price differences between different types of production, thereby promoting investments in improved environmental performance of electricity production.