U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON DC 20585
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 1998
Carbon Emissions from Fossil Fuels Up Slightly Between 1996 and 1997
Early estimates released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that 1997 carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels were up 1.2 percent from 1996 levels -- from 1,462 to 1,480 million metric tons of carbon (see attached table). This growth is considerably less than the 1995 to 1996 growth, when a colder than average winter contributed to a 3.4 percent increase in emissions, and it is about one third the rate of growth of the economy in general. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions historically have accounted for 84 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, making this estimate a good indicator of the expected trend in total emissions.
Key findings of the early estimate are:
- Including emissions growth through 1997, energy-related carbon emissions were up about 10 percent since 1990 (134 million metric tons).
- Among all end-use sectors in 1997, emissions growth in the commercial sector was greatest -- 4.5 percent. This reflects a strong service component of the overall economy which grew at a rate of about 3.8 percent. Compared with 1990, energy emissions attributed to the commercial sector are up by 14 percent, although as the attached figure indicates, it remains the sector with the lowest emissions.
- While electric utility sales were up only 0.6 percent between 1996 and 1997, due to lower heating and cooling requirements in 1997, emissions by electric utilities rose by 3.8 percent, as shifts in the fuels used to generate electricity resulted in more emissions per amount of electricity consumed. About 73 percent of the 19.25 million metric ton increase is attributable to coal. Contributing to growth in emissions was the overall decline in non-fossil fuel power generation: although hydropower generation was higher than 1996, nuclear generation, which represents a much larger share of total generation, fell by about 7 percent between 1996 and 1997 as the result of several large facilities being temporarily shut down. Emissions from electric utilities were up 12 percent (55 million metric tons) between 1990 and 1997.
- On a per capita basis, carbon emissions rose very slowly between 1996 and 1997 -- about one-quarter of 1 percent. In 1990, per capita emissions were 5.4 metric tons and in 1997 they were 5.5 metric tons -- a 1.9 percent rise.
- Measured in terms of metric tons per $1 million of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), emissions fell by about 2.5 percent, from 211 metric tons in 1996 to 206 metric tons in 1997, when measured in 1992 dollars. Since 1990, when emissions were 219 metric tons per $1 million GDP, they have fallen about 6 percent.
- As the attached indices indicate, energy-related carbon emissions in recent years have tended to move in conjunction with the population. When the economy is strong they tend to exceed population growth, and when it is weak they tend to grow more slowly than the population.
These estimates were derived from the energy consumption data published in EIA’s Monthly Energy Review, April 1998. Details on these estimates are available on the EIA’s web site at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/flash/flash.html. A full emissions inventory with analysis of all six greenhouse gases will be available from the EIA in October using the most up-to-date data at that time.
| The report described in this press release was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. The information contained in the report and the press release should be attributed to the Energy Information Administration and should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any policy position of the Department of Energy or any other organization. |
EIA Program Contact: Perry Lindstrom, 202/586-0934; Arthur Rypinski, 202/586-8425
EIA Press Contact: National Energy Information Center, 202/586-8800
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