Mr. Shaman
Senior Member
- May 4, 2010
- 23,892
- 822
- 48
April 5, 2013
CO2 Emissions; Lowest Since 1994
"Carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption in the United States during 2012 fell to the lowest level since 1994, finds a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a branch of the Department of Energy.
"The largest drop in emissions in 2012 came from coal, which is used almost exclusively for electricity generation," said the agency in a post on its web site. "During 2012, particularly in the spring and early summer, low natural gas prices led to competition between natural gas- and coal-fired electric power generators. Lower natural gas prices resulted in reduced levels of coal generation, and increased natural gas generationa less carbon-intensive fuel for power generation, which shifted power generation from the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel (coal) to the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel (natural gas)."