📉 U.S. coal use declines and reduces carbon emissions

📉 U.S. coal use declines and reduces carbon emissions

U.S. carbon emissions fell by 1.9 percent during 2023. The use of coal for electricity production decreased to the lowest level in half a century. Investments in solar and wind energy have increased.

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  • U.S. carbon emissions fell by 1.9 percent during 2023.
  • The use of coal for electricity production decreased to the lowest level in half a century.
  • Investments in solar and wind energy have increased.

A decline driven by cleaner energy sources

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 1.9 percent during 2023, largely thanks to a significant reduction in the use of coal for electricity production. The share of coal in electricity production fell to 17 percent, lower than both nuclear power and renewable energy. Carbon emissions from electricity production decreased by 8 percent.

This contributed to the country's emissions now having decreased by about 17 percent since 2005, despite an earlier increase after the pandemic.

Challenges and progress in transportation and industry

The transportation sector, which is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., increased by 1.6 percent during 2023, despite a rising sale of electric vehicles. Industrial emissions also increased, partly due to methane emissions from oil and gas production.

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Source: The Rhodium Group och NY Times.

⚡️ Energy♻️ Green TechClimate Change📈 Human Progress

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