Dive Brief:
- Analysis from a coalition of utilities working alongside the Natural Resources Defense Council finds most states are reducing their emissions in advance of finalized Clean Power Plan regulations – but eight are still actually increasing.
- Between 2008 and 2013, some 42 states reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of almost 20%.
- Eight other states, however, increased their emissions: Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Nebraska, Utah, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii.
Dive Insight:
Climate Central digs into the new Benchmarking Air Emissions report, digging out some surprising statistics: Carbon emissions are actually up since 1990, though there have been improvements of late, and 16% of states are actually moving in the wrong direction.
While CO2 emissions from power plants were 14% higher in 2013 than in 1990, the report also notes that they declined 12% from 2008 to 2013. Not surprisingly, coal accounts for account 80% of the emissions from large utilities.
And the outlet also notes that coal-dependent Kentucky led the nation in CO2 emissions rates, sending out more than 2,000 pounds of CO2 per Mwh produced. Wyoming, West Virginia, Indiana and North Dakota rounded out the top-5 polluting states.
The study's major finding appears to be just how intensively coal emissions are focused around the largest generators. According to the report, the top 100 producers accounted for 85% of the nation's generation in 2013, but also almost 90% of emissions. The top 10 accounted for a third.
Overall, despite the eight states still increasing emissions, researchers see things moving in the right direction. “Collectively, power plants are responsible for a declining share of U.S. air pollution emissions,” the report concludex. “In 2013, power plants were responsible for about 63% of SO2 emissions, 13% of NOx emissions, 38% of mercury emissions, and 61% of CO2 emissions.”
