# Electricity Maps Carbon Intelligence MCP MCP

> Electricity Maps Carbon Intelligence provides real-time global energy data, letting your AI agent understand a zone's power mix and carbon footprint instantly. Get immediate metrics like gCO2eq/kWh and the percentage of renewables for over 100 countries and regions. This tool lets you analyze environmental impact without manually checking multiple utility websites.

## Overview
- **Category:** data-analytics
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** carbon-intensity, renewable-energy, real-time-data, environmental-impact, sustainability, energy-grid

## Description

This connector equips your AI client with deep, real-time energy intelligence. You can ask questions about global power grids—like finding out a specific region's carbon intensity or seeing what sources are powering it right now. Your agent pulls the current gCO2eq/kWh rating and provides a detailed breakdown of the grid mix, showing you if solar, wind, or coal is dominating. If you’re auditing emissions for a global operation, comparing zones to find the lowest impact, or just researching energy transitions, this MCP acts as your dedicated analyst. It pulls all that data into one conversation thread, making it part of the Vinkius catalog you rely on.

## Tools

### get_carbon_intensity
Retrieves the current carbon emission rate (gCO2eq/kWh) for a specific geographical zone.

### get_power_production_breakdown
Provides a detailed list of energy sources, such as solar and gas, currently powering a specified zone.

### list_energy_zones
Outputs all geographical regions for which the system can retrieve energy data metrics.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
What is the energy mix in France right now?
```

**Response:** 
```
Retrieving data for France (FR)... The French grid is currently powered primarily by nuclear energy, followed by wind and hydro. The current carbon intensity is quite low at 45 gCO2eq/kWh. Would you like to see the exact MW breakdown?
```

## Capabilities

### Audit zone carbon intensity
Get the current carbon emission rate (gCO2eq/kWh) for any specified country or region.

### Analyze power source mix
Determine exactly what energy types—like wind, nuclear, or coal—are currently contributing to a specific grid's power supply.

### Identify renewable percentage
Find out the current proportion of clean energy sources within a given region’s overall power generation.

### List available data zones
Retrieve a full list of all geographical regions for which energy metrics are currently available.

## Use Cases

### Determining optimal cloud placement
A Cloud Engineer needs to move a compute cluster but can't find one with low carbon impact. They ask their agent, and it uses `list_energy_zones` to narrow down options, then runs `get_power_production_breakdown` on those zones to confirm high renewable input before running the final check via `get_carbon_intensity`.

### Writing a regional sustainability report
A Sustainability Manager needs to compare three different European regions. They ask their agent, and it pulls data for all three zones simultaneously, comparing not just the overall carbon rate (`get_carbon_intensity`) but also detailing which specific energy source (e.g., nuclear vs. hydro) is driving that number.

### Analyzing grid transition risks
A Policy Researcher needs to track how national grids are shifting away from coal. They use the MCP to list available zones, select several industrial nations, and then run a breakdown check (`get_power_production_breakdown`) on each one to see if fossil fuels are declining in the mix.

### Selecting energy-intensive appliances
An Eco-conscious Consumer wants to know when it’s safest to run a large, power-hungry appliance. They ask their agent for the current carbon intensity of their zip code and get an immediate rating that tells them if running the machine now is environmentally responsible.

## Benefits

- Instantly audit emissions. Use `get_carbon_intensity` to check the precise gCO2eq/kWh rating for a location, allowing you to compare multiple sites in minutes instead of hours.
- Optimize infrastructure decisions. When planning data center moves, your agent pulls the real-time power source mix via `get_power_production_breakdown`, helping you select grids with low-carbon inputs.
- Benchmark regions globally. By combining `list_energy_zones` and subsequent calls to other tools, you can systematically compare environmental impact across dozens of countries for quarterly reporting.
- Track renewable progress. You get the current percentage of clean energy sources in a zone’s power mix, making it easier to report on sustainability goals.
- Simplify complex data retrieval. Instead of logging into multiple national utility websites, your agent handles the API calls using this MCP.

## How It Works

The bottom line is you get a single, conversational feed of complex global energy metrics.

1. First, connect your AI client to this MCP and supply the required Electricity Maps API Key.
2. Then, ask your agent a specific question, like 'What is the carbon intensity in Germany?' or 'Show me the power mix for France.'
3. The system returns the precise data points—the carbon rate, the source breakdown, or the list of available zones—directly into your chat window.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I use get_carbon_intensity with Electricity Maps Carbon Intelligence?**
You tell your agent which zone you need data for. It runs `get_carbon_intensity` and gives you the current carbon emission rate in gCO2eq/kWh.

**Is get_power_production_breakdown real-time?**
Yes, it provides a breakdown of energy sources currently contributing to the grid. It details percentages and types like wind or nuclear power.

**Do I need to know all zones before using list_energy_zones?**
No. Calling `list_energy_zones` first gives you a complete catalog of supported regions, so you can pick your targets without guessing the required zone code.

**What if I need to compare two zones' carbon intensity?**
You simply ask your agent for both. It calls `get_carbon_intensity` twice—once for each location—and presents a direct comparison in one response.

**What happens if I run into an authentication error when calling get_carbon_intensity?**
First, verify your API key credentials. The agent requires a valid and active key provided by Electricity Maps. If the error persists, ensure the key was correctly entered in Vinkius and has not expired or been revoked.

**How often do the metrics update for get_power_production_breakdown?**
The data reflects near real-time grid conditions. While it's not instantaneous, the system updates frequently enough to support operational planning and sustainability auditing across major grids.

**If I use list_energy_zones and then try get_carbon_intensity with a bad code, what error do I get?**
The agent will report an invalid input or zone not found error. This means the specific code you provided doesn't match any defined energy region in the current dataset.

**Can my AI client optimize calls for many locations using get_carbon_intensity?**
Yes, your agent can process multiple zones sequentially within a single workflow. You retrieve the list of codes via `list_energy_zones` and then loop through them to build a comprehensive report.

**Can I check the carbon intensity in Brazil?**
Yes! Use the `get_carbon_intensity` tool with the zone code 'BR'. It will return the latest gCO2eq/kWh for the Brazilian grid.