Avoided Emissions & Generation Tool (AVERT)
AVERT is an open-access tool built for the EPA by Synapse to estimate the hourly emissions and generation benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and programs. AVERT allows non-expert users to measure displaced emissions of CO2, SO2, NOX, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and ammonia and avoided generation mitigated by state or multi-state programs. Stakeholders and regulators can also use the tool to identify likely units and regions impacted by different efficiency or renewable energy programs. The tool tracks each fossil unit’s generation, heat input, and emissions, and can identify likely changes in regional emissions when units are retired, replaced, or retrofitted with pollution controls. AVERT relies on hourly, public data reported to the EPA by power plants in the U.S.