Scope 2 Carbon Reduction Roadmap for Ohio Companies
The short answer
Cut electricity emissions in the order that also cuts cost: measure your usage and emissions baseline, reduce waste, shift flexible load, then procure renewable supply or certificates for what's left, and consider on-site generation where it pencils out. Efficiency and load shifting lower both your bill and your footprint; procurement changes your reported (market-based) emissions without changing usage.
For making the claims defensible, see green claims and Scope 2.
Step 1 — Measure
- Collect 12–24 months of kWh by site from utility bills or portals.
- Calculate location-based emissions using published regional grid factors (the U.S. EPA's eGRID data covers Ohio's grid regions) and market-based emissions using your supplier's disclosed mix or retired certificates.
- Normalize by square foot or unit of production so you can compare sites — see benchmarking.
Step 2 — Reduce
The cheapest ton of carbon is the kWh you don't use. Typical first projects: LED lighting and controls, HVAC schedule corrections, compressed-air leak repair, refrigeration maintenance, and variable-speed drives on fans and pumps. See cost-reduction best practices.
Step 3 — Shift
Moving flexible load (pre-cooling, charging, batch processes) out of the grid's summer peak hours lowers your capacity tag — worth roughly $120 per kW-year at 2026/27 PJM prices — and often avoids the highest-emitting peaking plants.
Step 4 — Procure
| Tool | Changes market-based emissions? | Changes cost? |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable supply product | Yes, for the renewable share | Small premium |
| Community aggregation with renewable content | Yes, if certificates are retired for you | Program price |
| Unbundled RECs | Yes | Cost of certificates |
| Virtual PPA | Yes, if you keep the certificates | Financial hedge; can gain or lose |
Step 5 — Generate
On-site solar can reduce purchased kWh and, if you keep the certificates, your market-based emissions. Ohio lets commercial net-metered systems be sized up to 120% of usage at interconnection. Note that the federal clean-electricity credit for solar required projects to begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be placed in service by December 31, 2027; storage credits continue for projects starting construction through 2033.
FAQ
What are Scope 2 emissions?
Indirect emissions from the electricity (and purchased heat or steam) a company uses.
Does energy efficiency reduce Scope 2 emissions?
Yes — under both location-based and market-based accounting, because you buy fewer kWh.
Is Ohio's renewable standard still in place?
The state RPS is 8.5% for 2026 and has no requirement after 2026, so future renewable claims will depend on voluntary purchasing.