U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Report on Fossil Fuels and Emissions Shows Mixed Results

Time Stamp: March 19, 2023 5:01 PM
Source Node: 2524804

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released its report on fossil fuels and emissions, and the results show a mixed picture. According to the report, total energy consumption in the United States rose by 1.5 percent in 2018, while emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from energy consumption increased by 2.7 percent.

The report also found that natural gas consumption increased by 4.1 percent in 2018, while coal consumption decreased by 6.6 percent. This is the fourth consecutive year that natural gas consumption has grown, while coal consumption has declined. This shift away from coal is largely due to the increasing availability of natural gas and the decreasing cost of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

The EIA report also found that total energy-related CO2 emissions increased by 2.7 percent in 2018, reaching a record high of 5,170 million metric tons. This increase was mainly due to the growth in natural gas consumption, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total increase in energy-related CO2 emissions.

The report also found that emissions from transportation increased by 1.9 percent in 2018, due to a 2.3 percent increase in gasoline consumption and a 1.4 percent increase in diesel consumption. This increase was partially offset by a 0.4 percent decrease in jet fuel consumption.

Overall, the EIA report shows that while the United States is making progress in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and emissions, there is still much work to be done. The increasing availability of renewable energy sources and the decreasing cost of these sources are helping to reduce emissions, but more needs to be done to further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and emissions. In addition, more needs to be done to reduce emissions from transportation, which still accounts for a large portion of total energy-related CO2 emissions.