EIA report finds electricity-generated CO2 emissions at lowest level since 1993
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Friday that U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity generation fell significantly since 2005, and are at their lowest level since 1993 due to increased renewable energy consumption.
The EIA report, which was based on data from the organization’s most recent Monthly Energy Review issue, found that electricity-related CO2 emissions were 21 percent lower than 2005 levels, while carbon dioxide emissions related to electricity consumption totaled 1,925 million metric tons last year – the lowest level since the early 1990s. The EIA attributed the fall to a more widespread dependence upon natural gas and renewable energy for electricity.
The report also found that CO2 emissions fell despite a relatively flat demand for electricity between 2005 and 2015. Electricity-related CO2 emissions rose in 2013 and 2014, potentially related to an increase in electricity sales. Last year, however, sales fell. The winter was relatively warm, which kept demand fairly low, and natural gas-sourced electricity generation was higher than coal-sourced electricity generation.
The report also found that an improvement in natural gas technology could be responsible for the increase in natural gas-source electricity generation demand. Natural gas-fired combined-cycle technology was in higher demand than coal-fired generation last year, and the wind power and solar power sectors have also increased in both demand and technological advancements, causing emissions to decrease as a result.
