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In December 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the first greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data collected under the GHG Reporting Program (40 CFR part 98).  This preliminary data accounts for GHG emissions from large industrial facilities and suppliers across the United States in 2010. EPA is still working with facilities to verify the preliminary data and will periodically release updates to provide the most accurate information available.  

The data, presented through EPA's [online data publication tool|http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgdata/] or via downloadable file {highlight}INSERT LINK{highlight}, can be used to help businesses track emissions, identify actions to increase efficiencies, inform policy at the state and local levels, and provide important information to the finance and investment communities.

Reporting facilities used uniform methods for estimating emissions, which enables data to be compared and analyzed quickly and easily. The preliminary GHG data set for 2010 includes: 

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* [Who Reports?|Who reports?]
* [Suppliers vs. Direct Emitters|Frequently Asked Questions]
* [ghgdata.epa.gov vs. U.S. GHG Inventory]
* [Understanding Facility Types]
* [Calculating GHG Totals by Industry]
* [Industry-Specific Reporting Requirements|Industry-Specific Reporting Requirements]
* [Caveats and Explanations]
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* More than {highlight}6,700{highlight} GHG reports 
* Information from {highlight}28{highlight} categories of facilities that directly emit GHGs to the atmosphere and information from {highlight}5{highlight} categories of suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial gases.  {highlight}Link to list of 2010 reporters>{highlight}
* GHG data from facilities that emit {highlight}25,000{highlight} metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent or more per year, roughly equivalent to the emissions from {highlight}131{highlight} railcars of coal.  
* About {highlight}85{highlight} percent of total U.S. emissions from human sources. Among the data not covered are GHG information from smaller sources, and the agriculture and land-use and land-use change sectors.
* Information on {highlight}4{highlight} GHGs -carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases (including   reporting of individual gases such as hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, nitrogen trifluoride, sulfur hexafluoride, and other fluorinated gases). 

This initial data release reflects all data reported to EPA as of December 6, 2011, except that no confidential business information is included. Twelve additional source categories will report GHG data for the first time beginning in 2012.{highlight}LINK to Track 2 Reporters list{highlight}.
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{panel:borderStyle=none|title=Quick Nav Panel|titleBGColor=#445666|bgcolor=#eee}
* [Who Reports?|Who reports?]
* [Suppliers vs. Direct Emitters|Frequently Asked Questions]
* [ghgdata.epa.gov vs. U.S. GHG Inventory]
* [Understanding Facility Types]
* [Calculating GHG Totals by Industry]
* [Industry-Specific Reporting Requirements|Industry-Specific Reporting Requirements]
* [Caveats and Explanations]
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h3.Accessing GHG Emissions Data
EPA has developed an easy-to-use [online data publication tool|http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgdata/] that allows users to view GHG data in a variety of ways, including by location, facility, industrial sector, or state.  The default view allows the user to explore data from direct emitters such as power plants, refineries, and other large direct emissions sources. Users also can view data from suppliers of products that would emit GHGs if completely combusted, oxidized, or released to the environment.  EPA's GHG Reporting Program help desk {highlight}INSERT LINK{highlight} and instructional tutorials {highlight}INSERT LINK{highlight} are available to assist the public in conducting searches using the tool. In the coming months, EPA will add more features to the data tool. 

EPA is also providing a "File for Download" which allows advanced users to download all non-confidential data submitted to EPA in an XML file. This file contains additional data elements not featured in the data publication tool, including items such as monitoring methods and missing data methods used. {highlight}LINK to File Download Page{highlight}

h3.What the Preliminary Data Show 
The preliminary 2010 data from direct emitters reveal that: 
* 2010 emissions are broadly consistent with the estimates in the _[U.S. Inventory on GHG Emissions and Sinks for 2009|http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html]_, the most recent U.S. inventory report available. 
* Power plants are the largest stationary source of U.S. GHG emissions with XX million metric tons of CO2e, followed by refineries, and landfills with {highlight}XX{highlight} and {highlight}XX{highlight} million metric tons of CO2e respectively. 
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* CO{~}2{~} emissions accounted for largest share of direct emissions with {highlight}XX{highlight} percent; followed by methane ({highlight}XX{highlight} percent), nitrous oxide ({highlight}XX{highlight} percent) and fluorinated gases ({highlight}XX{highlight} percent).  
* {highlight}104{highlight} facilities reported emissions over {highlight}7 million{highlight} metric tons of CO{~}2{~}e. {highlight}97{highlight} of these were power plants {highlight}3{highlight} were iron and steel mills, {highlight}3{highlight} were refineries, and {highlight}one{highlight} was a petrochemical plant. 
* {highlight}750{highlight} facilities reported emissions over {highlight}1 million{highlight} metric tons of CO{~}2{~}e.  {highlight}472{highlight} were power plants, {highlight}78{highlight} were chemical manufacturers, {highlight}73{highlight} were pulp and paper facilities, {highlight}65{highlight} were fuel refineries, {highlight}19{highlight} were metals manufacturers, {highlight}15{highlight} were landfills, {highlight}15{highlight} were mineral producers, {highlight}12{highlight} were "Other Industrial" facilities, and {highlight}1{highlight} was a government facility.  

Data from suppliers can be used to estimate emissions from facilities that are not required to report to EPA (e.g., emissions associated with small facilities and the transportation, residential, and commercial sectors), Some GHG emissions are accounted for both by the supplier of the product and the user of the product. For this reason, the emissions from the suppliers and direct emitters should not be summed to estimate national emissions because some emissions would be double counted. and show that: 

* Suppliers that reported GHG information to EPA in 2010 are producers, importers, and exporters of natural gas and natural gas liquids, petroleum products, coal-based liquids, carbon dioxide, and fluorinated gases.  
* {highlight}Need an interesting data fact from Brian here{highlight}