EIA releases report on CO2 emissions by state; California led in 2010 with transportation-sector emissions
14 May 2013
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| Energy-related CO2 emissions buy state, 2010. Source: EIA. Click to enlarge. |
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released a new report, State-Level Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2000-2010. The report shows a significant variation of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions across states on both an absolute and a per capita basis. Factors such as size, population density, available fuels, types of businesses, climate, all play a role in both total and per capita emissions, the EIA noted.
Topping the list for absolute emissions in 2010 was Texas (652.6 million tonnes CO2); California (369.8 mt CO2); and Pennsylvania (256.6 mt CO2). In terms of per capita emissions, the top emitter was Wyoming (118.5 tonnes of CO2 per person), followed by North Dakota (80.4 tonnes/person) and Alaska (54.6 tonnes/person). Examining 2010 energy-related CO2 emissions from the transportation sector, the report found California was the top transportation emitter (214.0 million tonnes CO2), followed by Texas (194.9 mt CO2) and Florida (107.0 mt CO2.
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| 2010 state energy-related CO2 emissions for transportation sector. Data: EIA. Click to enlarge. |
Each state’s energy system reflects circumstances specific to that state, EIA noted. For example, some states are located near abundant hydroelectric supplies, while others contain abundant coal resources. The report presents a basic analysis of the factors that contribute to a state’s carbon dioxide profile.
In the report, “energy-related carbon dioxide emissions” includes emissions released at the location where fossil fuels are used. For feedstock application, carbon stored in products such as plastics are not included in reported emissions for the states where they are produced.
The state-level carbon dioxide emissions data presented in this paper count emissions based on the location where the energy is consumed as a fuel. To the extent that fuels are used in one state to generate electricity that is consumed in another state, emissions are attributed to the former rather than the latter.
Partly as a result of that, four of the ten states with the lowest per capita carbon dioxide emissions are consistent importers of electricity: Idaho, California, Massachusetts, and Florida. California consistently imports about 30% of its electricity and natural gas is the dominant fuel for the electricity that it generates internally.
If the emissions associated with the generation of electricity were allocated to the states where that electricity is consumed, in many cases, the emissions profiles of both the producing and consuming states would change, the EIA noted.
From 2000 to 2010, CO2 emissions fell in 32 states and rose in 18 states. The greatest percentage decrease in carbon dioxide emissions occurred in Delaware (27.9%, 4.5 million tonnes). The greatest absolute decline was 58.8 million tonnes in Texas (8.3%). New York experienced a decline of 38.6 million tonnes (18.3%). The greatest percentage increase was in Nebraska at 16.0% (6.6 million tonnes), while Colorado experienced the greatest absolute increase (11.8 million tonnes or 13.9%). From 2009 to 2010, only 14 states saw a decrease in emissions.
The states with the highest carbon intensity of their economies as measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide per million dollars of state GDP (mt CO2/million dollars of GDP) are also the states with the highest values of energy intensity and carbon intensity of that energy supply.
In 2010 the top 3 states included: Wyoming (1,886 mt CO2/ million dollars of GDP), West Virginia (1,767 mt CO2/ million dollars of GDP), and North Dakota (1,681 mt CO2/ million dollars of GDP). The 2010 US average is 430 mt CO2/ million dollars of GDP.
The states with the lowest carbon intensity of economic activity are also states that appear on the lower end of both energy intensity and the carbon intensity of that energy supply. These states include: New York (167 mt CO2/ million dollars of GDP), Connecticut (175 mt CO2/ million dollars of GDP), and Delaware (209 mt CO2/ million dollars of GDP).
Everything is bigger in Texas
Posted by: dursun | 14 May 2013 at 10:08 PM
Yes, Texas has more emissions than all of Canada?
Posted by: HarveyD | 15 May 2013 at 07:55 AM
It would appear from the graphs in the article, that California, home of the powerful eco-loons is the "most CO2 emitting" State.
But of course liars can figure. All this measures is the human CO2 reported emitted by honest conscientious persons and companies reporting their human created CO2 emsissions. It excluudes those who don't report. That is a distorted estimate because it considers only about 3% of annual CO2 emissions and absorption, and that human 3%, may be as much as 30% wrong.
The EPA bureaucratic clowns cannot force the mighty Sequoia, nor the California palm tree's absorption/emissions figures. They are uninterested in the California farmer's estimates for CO2 absorption figures from their produce. But they are interested in his emissions from his farm equipment.
But we know for a fact by scientific tests, that North America is a net CO2 sink, sequestering more CO2 than than it emits by Man or Nature combined, every year. In addition it absorbs a lot of CO2 blowing in on the prevailing winds from Eurasia.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/282/5388/442.abstract
Why we should be still concerned, when America has reduced its human emitted CO2 to the levels desired by the expired Kyoto Treaty, so we are "saved" by the admissions of high druid-priests like James Hansen, and Paul Erlich.
Why we should be concerned is a mystery to any intelligent, thinking person; but religious dogma must be worshipped as divine, no matter the truth and/or relavancy, to the faithful eco-green druids.
Plus it pays the California CARBites very healthy and lucrative salaries and pensions, so why would they want to stop?
Posted by: D | 19 May 2013 at 01:09 PM