You need a workable scope 2 starting point
EACs are often the fastest credible path when your first goal is to address purchased electricity.
Learn more about EACs
What are EACs?
If you need a practical scope 2 path, EACs are often where teams start. This page explains what they are, how the claim works, and what to check before you buy.
What they are
A market-based way to match electricity use with renewable generation.
An energy attribute certificate, such as a REC, I‑REC, or GO, represents the renewable attributes tied to one megawatt-hour of electricity generation.
Teams use EACs to support market-based scope 2 reporting by matching electricity use with retired certificates. They are often the most direct way to start acting on electricity-related emissions without changing every supply contract first.
When this path makes sense
You need auditable proof
A retired certificate gives you a documented claim trail that finance, procurement, and reporting teams can work from.
You need flexibility across markets
The exact certificate type changes by region, but the underlying logic stays familiar.
Why teams use EACs
Simple enough to start with. Strong enough to report on.
EACs are not just educational. They are useful because the buying logic, retirement logic, and reporting logic all connect.
One certificate for each MWh
Each EAC maps to one megawatt-hour of renewable generation, which makes coverage easier to understand and track.
It works even when power and attributes are unbundled
The renewable attribute can travel separately from the underlying electrons, which is why EACs are useful in real procurement environments.
It fits into common reporting programs
Teams use EACs in programs such as RE100 and CDP, and in some markets they also sit alongside compliance obligations.
EACs: how they work
From renewable generation to a retired, reportable claim
The physical electricity enters the grid. The certificate is what keeps the renewable attribute traceable from issuance through retirement.
Renewable generation
A wind, solar, or hydro asset produces one megawatt-hour of renewable electricity.
Grid delivery
Once power enters the grid, renewable electrons become indistinguishable from conventional sources.
Certificate issuance
A registry records and tracks the EAC so ownership can transfer without losing chain of custody.
Claim and retirement
The buyer retires the EAC to make a renewable electricity consumption claim for that MWh.
Before you buy
Three details decide whether an EAC purchase will hold up.
Most confusion comes from the same places. Check these first and the rest of the buying decision gets much easier.
Match the certificate type to the market boundary
The right instrument depends on where the electricity use sits and which market rules apply there.
Check vintage, volume, and retirement timing
A good claim depends on more than buying any certificate. Year, quantity, and retirement evidence matter.
Make sure the evidence is easy to explain later
Reporting gets smoother when the procurement record, retirement proof, and claim language already line up.
Ready to look at EAC options?
Browse the product catalog if you already know you need a scope 2 solution. If you want help narrowing the path first, talk to our team.