EMPATHI
Energy Metrics for Project Assessment of Trade-offs & Human Impacts
EMPATHI connects energy-system decisions to the emissions, health, climate, and environmental consequences that follow.
what does an energy decision mean for people and the planet?
energy decisions are about More than energy.
Building, retiring, replacing, or expanding an energy resource changes more than electricity supply.
It can change emissions, air quality, climate, health, land and water use, and the communities affected by the project.
EMPATHI connects traditional energy metrics with those relatable outcomes so projects can be evaluated in terms people and decision-makers can use.
what is an atmospheric tonne of CO₂e?
how many less cases of asthma in my community?
energy systems are measured in
generation
capacity factors
$/MWh
atmospheric tonnes of CO₂
particles per million
abstractions
while people experience in
air pollution
extreme heat
climate risk
health impacts
environmental change
economic consequences
from Energy Systems to Human Impacts.
define the intervention
Specify an energy project, technology, location, capacity, timing, and other characteristics.
model the response
Explore how the intervention changes electricity generation and emissions over time under different assumptions about the future.
translate into impacts
EMPATHI connects emissions and energy-system changes to modeled consequences for health, climate, and other environmental outcomes.
contextualize results
Instead of stopping at tonnes of CO₂, EMPATHI translates modeled changes into outcomes that can help people understand the broader consequences of energy decisions.
the future isn’t now.
The impact of an energy project isn’t determined by the project alone.
It also depends on what happens around it.
How quickly does the electricity system decarbonize?
How does electricity demand change?
How does the population change?
What technologies replace retiring resources?
How does climate change?
we analyze future possibilities
to avoid the worst outcomes.
EMPATHI in use
Explore analyses developed with EMPATHI to examine real projects, technologies, and energy-system questions.
EMPATHI case studies
built on Transparent Methods and Public Data.
EMPATHI brings together energy-system projections, emissions data, demographic projections, health research, and climate modeling to estimate the broader consequences of energy-system changes.
The framework is documented openly, including its data sources, assumptions, methodology, and limitations.
EMPATHI is available to explore.
Engenie can take it further.
What happens if we build this project?
What does this project bring to the community asked to host it?
How does the answer change as the grid decarbonizes?
What are the potential public-health consequences?
What climate impacts could be avoided?
explore
Run your own analysis.
Use the public EMPATHI tool to explore an energy project or scenario.
apply
Need a deeper analysis?
Engenie can develop project-specific assessments, reports, scenarios, and professional applications.
collaborate
Have an idea for EMPATHI?
Partner with Engenie on research, education, training, new applications, or extensions of the framework.