U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions Hit New 25-Year Low
October 12 2016 - 06:20PM
Dow Jones News
U.S. carbon dioxide emissions fell to a new 25-year low during
the first six months of 2016, helped in large part by power plants
switching from coal to natural gas and renewable sources of
electricity, according to a Wednesday report by the U.S. Energy
Information Administration.
Mild weather also played a role. Many regions across the country
experienced higher-than-normal temperatures last winter, which
reduced demand for heating fuels, the agency said.
Energy-related carbon emissions in the first half of the year
were 2.53 billion metric tons, the lowest since the same period in
1991. Full-year emissions for 2016 are on pace to be 5.18 billion
metric tons, which would be the lowest on record since 1992,
according to the latest federal projection.
The numbers mean the U.S. is on track to reduce
energy-associated carbon emissions by at least 1.5% this year
compared with a 3% drop last year.
"They're not huge decreases, but our carbon intensity is going
down as a nation," said Allen McFarland, an analyst with the U.S.
Energy Department. "Carbon intensity has been generally falling
since 2005."
Natural gas and coal are burned to generate electricity, but gas
produces roughly half the carbon emissions of coal. Advanced
production techniques applied to wells from Texas to Pennsylvania
have unleashed abundant gas reserves, pushing down the cost of the
fuel.
During the first half of the year, total U.S. energy consumption
fell 2% compared with the same period in 2015. The decrease was
especially notable among residential power users, with consumption
falling 9%.
One big driver is the nation's steady march toward greater
energy efficiency. Revamped federal standards have reduced energy
consumption for everything from lightbulbs and refrigerators to
industrial motors. State-level carbon-reduction goals are also
pushing companies to make products that consume less energy,
especially when in standby mode.
California, for example, recently proposed the nation's first
energy-efficiency standards for computers and monitors after
finding they are responsible for 7% of commercial electricity use
and 3% of home power use. The new requirements, expected to be
adopted by year's end, would go into effect in 2019.
A shift toward renewable energy also helped reduce carbon
dioxide, the greenhouse gas linked to climate change. Wind, solar
and hydroelectric power sources generated 9% more electricity in
the first half of the year than in the first half of 2015, the
Energy Department said.
The U.S. Congress recently extended federal tax incentives that
encourage the development of wind and solar power, so experts
predict continued gains in renewable output for the next few
years.
Utilities and big companies continue to buy more renewable
power, partly because prices have been dropping. Duke Energy Corp.,
which provides power to homes and businesses in southeastern states
and across the Midwest, raised its renewable-energy targets by 33%.
The company now expects to control 8,000 megawatts of renewable
energy capacity by 2020, up from a goal of 6,000 megawatts set in
2013.
Duke's changing generation mix "has lowered our overall carbon
dioxide emissions by 28% since 2005," said Randy Wheeless, a
spokesman for the company.
Write to Rebecca Smith at rebecca.smith@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 12, 2016 18:05 ET (22:05 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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