The Natural Gas Plan for Reducing Carbon Emissions

Mark Green
Posted October 11, 2017

There’s a remarkable reality – among the many benefits of abundant, cleaner-burning domestic natural gas – that mustn’t be lost in the political back-and-forth over this week’s EPA decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan (CPP): The U.S. is achieving CPP’s objectives for reducing power-sector carbon emissions – without CPP’s implementation.

It’s true: Reductions of U.S. CO₂ emissions from electricity generation are well on their way to surpassing EPA’s estimate that CPP would lower CO₂ emissions 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. And it’s being done without CPP, thanks largely to market forces driving the increased use of natural gas in power generation.

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that U.S. CO₂ emissions from electricity generation were 24.6 percent lower than 2005 levels in 2016 and are projected to be 26 percent lower than 2005 by this year’s end.

EIA credits increased use of natural gas as a leading factor in falling carbon emissions from the power sector. Further, EIA says 63 percent of the decrease in CO₂ emissions from electricity generation since 2005 have come from fuel switching to natural gas:

Bottom lines: CO₂ emissions from power generation are at their lowest point in nearly 30 years, according to EIA, while CO₂ emissions from energy use across the entire U.S. economy are at their lowest point in nearly 25 years. Equally remarkable: These carbon dioxide reductions since 2005 have occurred during a period of increased domestic energy production and general economic growth.

CPP will continue to be debated, yet it bears repeating: The U.S. has been significantly lowering its carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector without CPP implementation, mostly because market decisions to use increasing volumes of domestic natural gas.

So, we’ll keep developing America’s natural gas abundance. It’s leading our country’s progress in reducing CO₂ emissions, has lowered costs for U.S. consumers and has benefited domestic manufacturing. API President and CEO Jack Gerard:

“Even without the Clean Power Plan’s implementation, our nation has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from power generation … thanks to the increased use of clean, reliable and affordable natural gas. Even as we have become the world’s top producer and refiner of oil and natural gas, carbon emissions are near 25-year lows throughout our nation’s economy. … Market forces and technological innovation have driven the increased use of natural gas which has brought great benefits to American consumers, workers, and the environment. We look forward to our continued work with the Administration and Congress on policies that advance our nation’s economic and environmental goals.”