Recession and mild weather lead to reduced CO2 emissions

A slowing economy and warmer-than-average temperatures lowered demand for electricity in 2008 and resulted in a 3.1 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions nationwide, according to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP).

Coal-fired power plants are the largest emitters of CO2, a greenhouse gas, and gross electrical output was down by approximately 3.3 percent, the report said.

In a statement, EIP Senior Attorney Ilan Levin cautioned against interpreting the reduction as a sign that the U.S. is on track to address climate change:

Unfortunately, one year of improved data does not mean that we are on the right path for carbon dioxide reduction from U.S. power plants. We clearly cannot afford a wave of conventional fossil-fired power plants that would only add tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year over the lifetimes of these new plants. If the United States is serious about curbing greenhouse gas pollution and meeting the goals that the scientific community says are needed, then many of the nation’s dirtiest power plants will either need to be cleaned up or retired. We have no time to lose.

EIP warned that the Department of Energy predicts carbon dioxide emissions from power generation will increase 15 percent between 2009 and 2030, due to new or expanded coal plants.

Here in Michigan several new coal plants are proposed despite projections for a continuing decline in demand for electricity.

According to the Energy Office of the Michigan Dept. of Labor and Economic growth:

Electric Projections by the state’s two largest utilities—DTE Energy and Consumers Energy—point toward a decline. DTE now predicts its customers’ energy use will fall by 6 percent between now and 2013, and Consumers now predicts a
5 percent decline by 2018.

Though demand is down, Michigan has the distinction of being home to one of the dirtiest coal plants in the nation.

According to the EIP report, Endicott Generating in Hillsdale County generated 1.54 tons of CO2 per megawatt hour of electricity generated, making it the 8th dirtiest plant in the country.