US: CO2 emissions from transport now higher than those from power production

U.S. CO₂ emissions from the transportation sector reached 1,9 million metric tons (MMmt) from October 2015 through September 2016, exceeding electric power sector CO₂ emissions of 1,8 MMmt over the same time period. On a 12-month rolling total basis, electric power sector CO₂ emissions are now regularly below transportation sector CO₂ emissions for the first time since the late 1970s. CO₂ emissions from electric power have been trending lower since 2007.

The electric power sector makes up a larger share of total U.S. energy consumption than the transportation sector. However, CO₂ emissions from the electric power sector are now lower than those from transportation because the carbon intensity of the power sector has fallen much faster than the carbon intensity of the transportation sector.

Emissions from the transportation sector are primarily from motor gasoline, distillate fuel oil, and jet fuel, which have carbon intensities lower than coal but higher than natural gas. For example, gasoline emits an average of 157 lbs of CO₂/MMBtu. In the 12 months from October 2015 through September 2016, motor gasoline represented 60 % of the total emissions from the transportation sector, while 23 % was from distillate fuel oil and 12 % was from jet fuel.

Very little electricity is used in the transportation sector. Attributing transportation’s share of electric power sector emissions to the transportation sector would only add 4 MMmt CO₂ to the transportation sector’s total of 1,893 from October 2015 through September 2016.

Source: eia (US Energy Information Administration)
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