Total Energy

Glossary › FAQS ›

Annual Energy Review

Release Date: October 19, 2011 
Next Update: August 2012

Table 11.4  Methane Emissions, 1980-2009
                        (Million Metric Tons of Methane)




Year		 Energy Sources Waste Management Agricultural Sources


Industrial
Processes 9



Total 5

Coal
Mining		 Natural
Gas
Systems 1
Petroleum
Systems 2		 Mobile
Com-
bustion 3		 Stationary
Com-
bustion 4

Total 5

Landfills		 Waste-
water
Treatment 6

Total 5		 Enteric
Fermen-
tation 7
Animal
Waste 8
Rice
Cultivation		 Crop
Residue
Burning

Total 5
1980
 3.06 R 4.42 NA 0.28 0.45 R 8.20 10.52 0.52 11.04 5.47 R 2.87 0.48 0.04 R 8.86 0.17 R 28.27
1981
 2.81 R 5.02 NA .27 .45 R 8.55 10.69 .53 11.22 5.56 R 2.73 .54 .05 R 8.88 .18 R 28.82
1982
 3.23 R 5.04 NA .27 .46 R 9.01 R 10.63 .54 11.17 5.50 R 2.63 .47 .05 R 8.65 .13 R 28.97
1983
 3.02 R 5.00 NA .27 .46 R 8.76 10.67 .54 11.21 5.46 R 2.68 .31 R .04 R 8.49 .15 R 28.62
1984
 3.61 R 5.11 NA .27 .48 R 9.46 10.68 .66 R 11.33 5.33 R 2.60 .40 R .05 R 8.38 R .16 R 29.34
1985
 3.89 R 5.16 NA .26 .48 R 9.79 10.65 .67 11.32 5.27 R 2.56 .36 R .05 R 8.23 R .15 R 29.49
1986
 3.73 R 5.04 NA .26 R .46 R 9.48 10.53 .67 R 11.20 5.13 R 2.51 .34 .04 R 8.02 .16 R 28.87
1987
 4.01 R 5.14 NA .25 .43 R 9.85 10.63 .68 11.31 5.08 R 2.56 .33 .04 R 8.02 .17 R 29.34
1988
 3.94 R 5.29 NA .25 .46 R 9.95 R 10.51 .69 R 11.20 5.10 R 2.60 .41 R .05 R 8.14 R .18 R 29.47
1989
 3.96 R 5.46 NA .25 .48 R 10.15 R 10.43 .70 11.13 5.08 R 1.68 .38 R .05 R 7.18 .18 R 28.64
1990
 R 4.07 R 5.78 1.30 R .22 .37 R 11.72 R 10.31 .91 R 11.23 R 5.58 R 1.59 .40 R .05 R 7.62 .18 R 30.75
1991
 4.09 R 6.00 1.31 R .21 .37 R 11.98 R 10.00 .93 R 10.93 R 5.61 R 1.64 .40 R .05 R 7.69 .19 R 30.78
1992
 4.05 R 6.07 1.26 R .20 .38 R 11.97 R 9.84 .95 R 10.79 R 5.77 R 1.68 .45 R .05 R 7.95 .19 R 30.90
1993
 R 3.29 R 6.03 1.21 R .20 .36 11.08 R 9.58 .96 R 10.54 R 5.77 R 1.73 .41 .04 R 7.96 .20 R 29.77
1994
 R 3.35 R 6.08 1.17 R .19 .35 R 11.15 R 9.25 .98 R 10.23 R 5.90 R 1.81 .48 .05 R 8.23 .21 R 29.82
1995
 R 3.31 R 6.17 R 1.16 R .20 .35 R 11.20 R 8.62 1.00 R 9.61 R 5.96 R 1.84 .44 R .05 R 8.28 .22 R 29.31
1996
 R 3.30 R 6.20 1.14 R .20 .36 R 11.20 R 8.19 1.01 R 9.19 R 5.95 R 1.84 .41 R .05 R 8.25 R .22 R 28.87
1997
 R 3.28 R 6.47 1.14 R .20 .33 R 11.42 R 7.45 1.02 R 8.47 R 5.72 R 1.91 .45 .05 R 8.13 R .23 R 28.26
1998
 R 3.29 R 6.45 1.11 R .19 .30 R 11.34 R 6.80 1.03 R 7.83 R 5.65 R 1.97 .47 .05 R 8.14 R .23 R 27.54
1999
 3.11 R 6.47 1.04 R .18 .31 R 11.11 R 6.21 1.05 R 7.25 R 5.64 R 1.97 .50 .05 R 8.16 R .24 R 26.76
2000
 R 2.98 R 6.77 1.03 R .17 .33 R 11.27 R 5.93 1.05 R 6.98 R 5.60 R 1.96 .44 .05 R 8.05 R .22 R 26.53
2001
 R 2.97 R 6.59 1.03 R .16 .30 R 11.05 R 5.65 1.05 R 6.70 R 5.53 R 1.98 .47 .05 R 8.02 .20 R 25.97
2002
 2.79 R 6.90 1.02 R .15 .30 R 11.16 R 5.58 1.06 R 6.64 R 5.54 R 1.99 .44 R .05 R 8.03 .21 R 26.03
2003
 2.79 R 6.86 1.01 R .14 .31 R 11.11 R 5.97 1.06 R 7.03 R 5.61 R 2.00 .43 .05 R 8.08 R .20 R 26.43
2004
 R 2.86 R 6.93 .96 R .14 R .31 R 11.20 R 5.80 1.07 R 6.88 R 5.62 R 2.02 .47 .05 R 8.16 R .22 R 26.46
2005
 2.81 R 6.91 .92 R .13 .32 R 11.08 R 6.02 1.08 R 7.09 R 5.71 R 2.18 .46 .05 R 8.40 .20 R 26.77
2006
 R 2.86 R 7.00 .91 R .12 .30 R 11.19 R 6.18 1.10 R 7.27 R 5.77 R 2.25 .39 .05 R 8.47 R .20 R 27.14
2007
 2.84 R 7.26 .90 R .12 .31 R 11.43 R 6.40 1.11 R 7.51 R 5.80 R 2.24 .39 .05 R 8.49 .21 R 27.64
2008
 3.28 R 7.37 .88 R .11 R .33 R 11.97 R 6.90 R 1.12 R 8.02 R 5.93 R 2.37 R .43 .05 R 8.79 R .18 R 28.97
2009
 3.44 7.32 .94 .11 .31 12.12 7.19 1.12 8.31 5.80 2.33 .45 .06 8.64 .17 29.24
1Natural gas production, processing, and distribution; processing is not included in 1980 and is
incompletely covered in 1981-1989.		 8Estimation methods for 1990 forward reflect a shift in waste management away from liquid systems to
dry-lot systems, thus lowering emissions.
2Petroleum production, refining, and distribution. 9Chemical production, and iron and steel production.
3Emissions from passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and other transport. R=Revised.  NA=Not available.  
4Consumption of coal, petroleum, natural gas, and wood for heat or electricity. Notes:  ·  Emissions are from anthropogenic sources.  "Anthropogenic" means produced as the result of
human activities, including emissions from agricultural activity and domestic livestock.  Emissions from
natural sources, such as wetlands and wild animals, are not included.  ·  Under certain conditions, methane
may be produced via anaerobic decomposition of organic materials in landfills, animal wastes, and rice
paddies.  ·  Because of the continuing goal to improve estimation methods for greenhouse gases, data are
frequently revised on an annual basis in keeping with the latest findings of the international scientific
community.  ·  Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
5See notes on components for specific coverage, which is inconsistent prior to 1990 in some cases. Web Page:  For related information, see http://www.eia.gov/environment/.
61980-1983, domestic wastewater only; 1984 forward, industrial and domestic wastewater. Sources:  U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United
States 2009 (March 2011), Tables 17-21; and EIA estimates based on the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change's Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006 and revised 1996
guidelines)—see http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gl/invs6.html; and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2008 (April 2010)—see
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html.
7Methane emitted as a product of digestion in animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and swine.