EPA Releases Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data from Large Facilities
Carbon pollution from power plants declines 10 percent from 2010 due to
growing use of natural gas
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
released its third year of greenhouse gas data detailing carbon
pollution emissions and trends broken down by industrial sector,
greenhouse gas, geographic region, and individual facility. The data,
required to be collected annually by Congress, highlight a decrease in
greenhouse gas emissions as more utilities switch to cleaner burning
natural gas.
“EPA is supporting President Obama’s Climate Action Plan by providing
the high-quality data necessary to help guide common-sense solutions to
address climate change,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Putting
this data in the hands of the public increases transparency, supports
accountability, and unlocks innovation.”
Greenhouse gases emitted through human activities such as transportation
and power generation are the primary driver of recent climate change,
which threatens the health and welfare of Americans—by increasing the
likelihood of hotter, longer heat waves, fueling more frequent and
intense extreme weather events, and worsening ground level ozone, an air
pollutant that causes respiratory and cardiovascular health problems.
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program collects annual greenhouse gas
information from over 8,000 facilities in the largest emitting
industries, including power plants, oil and gas production and refining,
iron and steel mills, and landfills. In addition, the program is
receiving data on the increasing production and consumption of
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) predominantly used in refrigeration and
air-conditioning. The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is the only
program that collects facility-level greenhouse gas data from major
industrial sources across the United States.
The 2012 data show that in the two years since reporting began,
emissions from power plants have decreased 10 percent. This is due to a
switch from coal to natural gas for electricity generation and a slight
decrease in electricity production. Fossil-fuel fired power plants
remain the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. With just
under 1,600 facilities emitting over 2 billion metric tons of carbon
dioxide in 2012, these plants account for roughly 40 percent of total
U.S. carbon pollution.
The data are accessible through EPA’s online data publication tool,
FLIGHT, which is available for both desktop and mobile devices. This
year, with three years of data for most sources, FLIGHT has been updated
with new features, including the ability to view trend graphs by sector
and facility, and download charts and graphs for use in presentations
and reports. The data are also published through EnviroFacts, which
allows the public to download data for further analyses.
Access EPA’s GHG Reporting Program Data and Data Publication Tool:
http://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/
Access EnviroFacts:
http://epa.gov/enviro/
|