# Does power bought on the Green Day-Ahead Market count as renewable in market-based Scope 2?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/green-day-ahead-market-power-scope-2

It can, but only if you hold evidence that the renewable attribute of those exact MWh went to you alone and was not also sold as a REC or used by anyone else. Exchange trades are pooled and anonymous, so check the documents before you report G-DAM units at zero.

## What G-DAM and G-TAM are

The Green Term-Ahead Market (G-TAM) and Green Day-Ahead Market (G-DAM) are exchange segments where only renewable generators sell. CERC approved G-TAM on IEX in August 2020 and G-DAM in October 2021, and they run under the CERC (Power Market) Regulations, 2021. A consumer buys through open access, and the units are scheduled and adjusted on its discom bill like other open access power.

The exchange clears buyers and sellers in a common pool. You get a volume of green energy at a cleared price, not a contract with a named wind or solar plant.

## The tests from the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance

Exchange green power usually passes the market and vintage tests. The open question is exclusivity: whether the paperwork shows that the attribute was transferred to you and that no REC or other certificate was issued for the same units.

- The instrument conveys the renewable attribute of the energy, and that attribute is claimed only once.
- It is retired or redeemed by you or on your behalf, with a record you can show.
- It comes from the same market as your consumption, India here.
- It relates to the same period as the electricity you claim, normally the same reporting year.

## A decision rule you can apply now

1. Location-based Scope 2: count every unit you consumed, G-DAM units included, at the CEA grid factor. Nothing changes here.
2. Market-based Scope 2: report G-DAM units at zero only if you hold the exchange or trader documents that tie the units to renewable generators and confirm no separate certificate was sold for them.
3. If you cannot get that confirmation, treat the units as grid power in market-based Scope 2, or buy and retire RECs for the same MWh and claim on the RECs.
4. Write down which route you took and keep the monthly scheduling statements with the bill.

## RE100 and CDP

Neither body has published an India-specific ruling on exchange-cleared green power that this page can point to. RE100 applies its Technical Criteria to every claim, so read the current version before counting G-DAM units toward an RE100 target, and disclose the instrument type in CDP. If a buyer or rating body asks, show the documents rather than relying on the market name.

## Worked example: one year for an HT consumer

- Total consumption at the meter: 12,00,000 kWh, of which 4,00,000 kWh bought on G-DAM
- Location-based: 12,00,000 x 0.710 = 8,52,000 kg CO2, about 852 t
- Market-based with exclusive evidence: 8,00,000 x 0.710 = 5,68,000 kg CO2, about 568 t
- Market-based without it: the same 852 t, or 568 t if 400 MWh of RECs are retired in your name

India has no published residual mix, so remaining grid units use the CEA grid average; say so in your methodology note.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reports location-based Scope 2 from the kWh on your bills at 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, and market-based Scope 2 where you provide the instrument data. It does not check exchange contracts or confirm that an attribute is exclusive.

- [Open access green power on the bill](https://senseible.earth/answers/open-access-green-power-on-bill-scope-2)
- [Do RE100 and CDP accept Indian RECs?](https://senseible.earth/answers/do-re100-and-cdp-accept-indian-recs)
- [Green energy open access in India](https://senseible.earth/climate-intelligence/green-energy-open-access-india)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance, Chapter 7 Scope 2 Quality Criteria](https://ghgprotocol.org/scope-2-guidance), [RE100 Technical Criteria (RE100 is led by Climate Group in partnership with CDP)](https://www.cdp.net)

Last reviewed 2026-10-18. The GHG Protocol Scope 2 revision is in consultation and RE100 criteria are updated periodically; re-check how exchange green power is treated.