In January 2012, for the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data collected under the GHG Reporting Program. The preliminary data, which are expected to be finalized in March 2012, show 2010 U.S. GHG emissions from large industrial facilities, and from suppliers of certain fossil fuels and certain industrial gases. Reporting entities used uniform methods for estimating emissions, which enables data to be compared and analyzed. The data confirm that among large, direct GHG emitters, the sector with the largest emissions is power plants, followed by petroleum refineries. EPA is working with facilities to verify the data and will update the online information regularly to provide the most up-to-date information available.

EPA developed an easy-to-use online data publication tool that allows users to view GHG data in a variety of ways, including by location, facility, industrial sector, or state. EPA's help desk and instructional tutorials are available to assist the public in using the tool. In the coming months EPA will add more features to the data publication tool.

The preliminary GHG data set for 2010 includes:

• GHG Reports from over
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  6,700

  entities.

• Roughly
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  80

  percent of total U.S. emissions. Among the data not covered are GHG emissions from smaller sources, and from the agricultural and land-use activities.

• Information on GHGs including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and several types of fluorinated industrial gases.

• GHG data from facilities from specific industries that directly emit
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  25,000

  metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent or more per year, roughly equivalent to the emissions from burning 131 railcars of coal. <Link to list of 2010 reporters>
• Information from
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  3

  categories of suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial gases. <Link to list of 2010 reporters>

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..

What the Data Tells Us

The GHG Reporting Program collects information from facilities that directly emit GHGs and from suppliers of products that release GHGs if combusted, oxidized, or used. The majority of direct GHG emissions associated with the transportation, residential and commercial sectors are accounted for by these suppliers

. The data publication tool has two distinct sections so the user can view these data sets separately. The default view allows the user to explore data from direct emitters such as power plants, refineries, and other large direct emissions sources.

Preliminary 2010 data for direct GHG emitters show that:

• Power plants are the largest stationary source of direct U.S. GHG emissions with
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  2,324

  million metric tons of CO2e, followed by refineries with
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  183

  million metric tons of CO2e.

• CO2 emissions accounted for largest share of direct emissions with
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  95

  percent, followed by methane with
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  4

  percent, and nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases representing the remaining 1 percent.

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  100

  facilities each reported emissions over
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  7 million

  metric tons of CO2e, including
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  96

  power plants,
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  2

  iron and steel mills and
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  2

  refineries.

• GHG data from direct emitters collectively covers roughly
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  50

  percent of total U.S. emissions.

Notes on the Data

The preliminary data released in January 2012 reflect any resubmitted reports from facilities as of December 16, 2011. EPA does not release confidential business information. Twelve additional source categories will report their 2011 data for the first time beginning in 2012.

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