Shift from coal to natural gas driving drop in US greenhouse gas emissions

MIT Technology Review : An International Energy Agency report has revealed that greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations fell 1.3% in 2012, despite a global increase of 1.4%. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual emissions report has revealed that US emissions in 2012 were at their lowest since 2005. Levels in 2012 were just 4.7% higher than they were in 1990, which is down from a peak in 2007, when they were 17.5% higher than in 1990. The drop in 2012 was the second largest decrease after a recession-driven drop in 2009. The reduction in emissions is almost entirely due to a shift from coal to natural gas by the electricity industry, which is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases. Coal’s portion of electrical generation is down to 40% from 54% in 1990, while natural gas’s share has risen from 11% to 26% over the same time period. And in 2013, wind and solar plants produced 4.5% of the US’s electricity, an increase of more than 950% since 2005.