Greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants decreased 6.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to new data from the Environmental Protection Agency. This represents a decrease of 11.3 percent from 2011 levels. “Several factors contributed to this reduction, including energy prices favoring the use of natural gas over coal, increased use of renewable energy sources and increased use of more efficient natural gas combined-cycle generators,” according to the EPA.
The new data is based on emissions information supplied by more than 8,000 emitters, including 1,480 power plants. According to EPA, direct embittered report 3.05 billion metric tons CO2 equivalent emissions in 2015. “The largest emitting sector was the Power Plant Sector with 2.0 billion metric tons CO2e, followed by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems Sector with 231 million metric tons (MMT) CO2e and the Refineries Sector with 176 MMT CO2e,” according to the data.
Since the advent of hydraulic fracking, access to natural gas has increased significantly. “Power plants produce less greenhouse gas emissions per unit electricity generated when natural gas is used as a fuel source than when coal is used,” according to the EPA.
