Reported emissions from the power plants sector decreased significantly from 2011 to 2019, from 2,222 million metric tons (MMT) CO2e in 2011 to 1,669 MMT CO2e in 2019, a decrease of 24.9%. Reported emissions for 2019 declined by 8.1% from 2018.
Over the time period of 2011 through 2019, national net generation of electricity remained fairly consistent with an increase of under one half of a percent.[1] However, GHG emissions per unit of electricity generation decreased from 541.9 to 405.2 MT CO2e per thousand megawatt-hours, a 25% drop. Several factors contributed to this reduction in emissions per unit of electricity generated, including the increased use of renewable energy sources and more electric power generation from natural gas combustion.[2] In 2011, 42.3% of U.S. electricity was generated from coal and 24.7% from natural gas; but by 2019, 23.5% of electricity generation was derived from coal and 38.4% from natural gas.[1] Electricity generated from renewable energy results in no greenhouse gas emissions from power plants; and generation from natural gas, particularly in more efficient combined-cycle generators, produces lower greenhouse gas emissions per unit of electricity generated than generation from coal.[3]
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[1] U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 1.1. Net Generation by Energy Source: Total (All Sectors), 2010- July 2020 (accessed October 8, 2020) at: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_1_01
[2] Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2018. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. April 13, 2020. EPA 430-R-20-002. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks-1990-2018
[3] U.S. Department of Energy, Environment Baseline, Volume 1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the U.S. Power Sector. Available at: https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/01/f34/Environment Baseline Vol. 1--Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the U.S. Power Sector.pdf