BusinessClimate Changed
America Crowns a New Pollution King
Power plants have been the biggest source of U.S. CO2 emissions since the 1970s—until now.
Fighting Climate Change, Without the U.S.
This Article is for Subscribers Only
For the first time in 40 years, power plants are no longer the biggest source of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. That dubious distinction now belongs to the transport sector: cars, trucks, planes, trains and boats.
The big reversal didn’t happen because transportation emissions have been increasing. In fact, since 2000 the U.S. has experienced the flattest stretch of transportation-related pollution in modern record keeping, according to data compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The big change has come from the cleanup of America’s electric grid.