U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fell Significantly in 2009

Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) associated with energy use were down 7% in 2009 compared to 2008, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). That’s the largest single-year decline in emissions since the agency began keeping data on energy consumption (from which GHG are derived) in 1949, more than 60 years ago.

EIA attributes some of the fall in emissions to the economic downturn, but also points to a decline in the energy intensity of the economy as well as the carbon intensity of the energy supply. Total energy consumption during 2009 fell across all sectors, most notably in the industrial sector, where consumption dropped by nearly 10%. Meanwhile, the carbon intensity of the energy supply decreased mainly in the electric sector, where the price of coal rose while the relative price (per Btu) of natural gas fell dramatically.

For more information, visit www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/environment/emissions/carbon/index.html.

– Andrea Ward