The subsidiary of PJM that manages its registry of clean energy certificates will next month release a new product broken down by the hour in which the energy was created, the RTO announced last week.

Ken Schuyler, president of PJM EIS, said no other registry of renewable energy credits (RECs) in the U.S. has created an hourly product, but he believes it’s a road others are likely to follow to meet the needs of customers seeking increasingly granular data, particularly those striving to meet clean energy goals.

The certificates currently managed by the Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS) that EIS operates include the generator location, emissions output, fuel source and date the generator went online. Each one represents 1 MWh and are produced based on the amount of power the facility produced in a given month.

The new credits will also include the output by date and hour.

“We recognize that customers are interested in more granular, real-time data that can be used to innovate new ways to incentivize clean energy,” Schuyler said in an announcement. “Using the unique data offered by GATS, customers can make more informed choices about their energy use.”

The more detailed certificates allow those with environmental targets to match their energy usage throughout the day to ensure the entirety of their power is provided by renewable or carbon-free generation, Schuyler said. Another application he identified is for buyers to target when they purchase credits to displace high-emitting generators during hours when marginal emissions are at their highest.

“The hourly data that we’re making available is being made available so that they can make informed choices and accomplish their strategies, whatever that might be,” he told RTO Insider.

Constellation Energy (NASDAQ:CEG) applauded the announcement, saying it enhances the ability for consumers to demonstrate that they are using carbon-free energy. 

“This advancement is enabling companies like Constellation to offer a more complete range of products that help customers meet their sustainability goals,” said Kathleen Barrón, Constellation’s chief strategy officer. “As we work toward our purpose of accelerating the transition to a carbon-free future, we can provide this critical service for customers who want more clear and accurate data on their emissions impact, including producers of clean hydrogen who must demonstrate that they are using zero-carbon energy to qualify for new federal tax credits.”

The company noted that it launched its own hourly carbon-free energy matching product last year, allowing customers to match their energy with regional carbon-free generation on an hourly basis. The new hourly certificates supplied by EIS will provide a “transparent and independent way to certify that they are meeting their clean energy goals.”

Speaking on a panel during PJM’s General Session in October, Brian George, lead of Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) energy regulatory and policy engagement team, said the company was shifting to procuring clean energy when and where it’s needed, rather than focusing on the installation of additional renewable generation. In an email following PJM’s announcement, he said the hourly data is central to the company’s carbon-free energy goals. (See PJM General Session Focuses on Clean Energy Transition.)

“We welcome PJM’s announcement to implement an hourly tracking mechanism. As a buyer of electricity in PJM with a goal to power our data centers with 24/7 CFE by 2030, hourly tracking is essential. We hope other RTOs and ISOs across the country will follow PJM’s leadership,” George wrote.