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The emissions from domestic refineries comprise an annual average of nearly 75% of the total CO₂ emissions reported to this sector . The on an annual average. Until 2020, the emissions from products supplied by petroleum refineries have had increased by approximately 17% for the period spanning RY 2012 to RY 2019, with emissions of 2,151 million metric tons (MMT) CO₂ and 2,512 513 MMT CO₂, respectively. This trend indicates increasing Prior to 2020, production of fuels at domestic refineries increased, which is was consistent with the data reported by petroleum refineries to the United States Energy Information Administration (a detailed explanation of refinery trends data is included in Emission Trends in Petroleum Refineries).FAQ #833 ”What factors influenced the trend in emissions for refineries?”). In 2020, global demand for petroleum products decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be reflected in the subpart MM reported data as a decrease in supplied petroleum products. Emissions from products supplied by petroleum refineries in 2020 almost returned to 2012 levels with an emissions total of 2,214 MMT CO₂ representing a decrease of 12% from 2019.

Petroleum products can be broadly categorized as transportation fuels and non-transportation products. Transportation fuels include all finished motor gasoline, gasoline blends, oxygenates, and light distillates. The non-transportation products category includes all other products listed in Table MM-1. About two-thirds of the total CO₂ emissions from the product supplied by domestic petroleum refineries are from transportation fuels for all reporting years. There is no apparent shift in refinery product slate over the time series (including 2020) considering these broad product categories.

The increase in emissions from products supplied by petroleum refineries is due to increased Prior to 2020, the trend of increasing emissions was supported by an increase in demand for both transportation fuels and non-transportation products. Increases in the demand for transportation and non-transportation products is likely due to continuing economic growth. The supply of transportation fuels has continued to grow despite some advances in fuel efficiency. About 69% These historical increases were attributed to economic growth and specifically to increases in the supply of finished motor gasoline to the transportation sector and associated increases in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Consistent with historical years, about 66% of the total finished petroleum products consumed in the United States are used in the transportation sector, and about nearly half of those products are motor gasoline. [1] However, in contrast with the historical trends, a sharp decrease in demand for petroleum products was noted in all energy sectors in 2020. [1] A particularly sharp decrease in demand for fuel in the transportation sector resulted in a 15% decrease in 2020 compared with 2019. [1] The supply of finished motor vehicle gasoline increased from a low of for 2020 was recorded as 8,682 049 thousand barrels per day in 2012 compared to about 9,310 309 thousand barrels per day in 2019. [2] The increase decrease in motor vehicle gasoline supply is consistent with the increase decrease in the annual vehicle miles traveled ( VMT), which increased decreased from 23,969 260 billion VMT in 2012 2019 to 32,269 830 billion VMT in 2019.[3] The VMT increase was likely driven by increases in both population and VMT per capita. The annual VMT per capita increased from about 9,500 VMT per capita in 2012 to about 10,000 VMT per capita in 2019. [3,4] The increase in VMT per capita is likely due to low gasoline prices as well as continuing economic growth.2020, a 13% decrease.[3]

The emissions reported to subpart MM by importers has remained relatively flat between RY 2012 and RY 20192020, while emissions from exports have exporters consistently increased over the same time period. This indicates that some of the increase in domestic refinery product supply is used to meet product demand in other countries. When considering the total emissions from the supply of petroleum products, the exporter emissions are subtracted from the emissions reported by petroleum refineries and importers and tend to offset some of the increased emissions from products supplied by petroleum refineries to the domestic market.series until 2020. In 2020, emissions from exporters decreased by 7% as compared to the 2019 emissions. The lower 2020 emissions from exports is the result of decreased global demand, which was estimated to have decreased by 9% in 2020, for liquid fossil fuels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4]

[1]     U.S. Energy Information Administration, Today in Energy, June 22August 5, 20202021, accessed October 2020September 2021, available at https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=44176.49016

[2]     U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Product Supplied of Finished Motor Gasoline, accessed October 2020September 2021, available at https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=mgfupus2&f=a.

[3]     U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Traffic Volume Trends, Series 2012 and 20172020, accessed October 12September 20, 20202021, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/travel_monitoring/tvt.cfm.

[4]          U.S. Census Bureau, National Population Totals and Components of Change: 2010-2019, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1 2019 , Series 2012 and 2017, accessed October 12, 2020, available at Energy Information Administration, Today in Energy, January 29, 2021, accessed September 2021, https://www.censuseia.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-national-total.html .todayinenergy/detail.php?id=46596

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