Greenhouse gas emissions are rising in the US driven by coal use

According to the Rhodium Group, the factor that led to the coal boom and thus the increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States was the increase in natural gas prices.

2021 has been designated as the year of recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so emissions Increased Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in the United States (EU) 6.2% Compared to 2020, it recovered faster than the broader economy driven by the jump in power generation to coal, señaló Rhodium Group.

Also, according to a preliminary analysis, despite the increase in emissions, these remained a 5% below from 2019 levels. Additionally, coal-fired power generation increased 17% as of 2020; With a quick recovery in road transport, especially freight.

“Progress in reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions is reversed in 2021; moving from 22.2% below 2005 levels in 2020 to just 17.4% in 2021; which has moved the United States away from its 2025 and 2030 climate goals.”

Another factor driving the rise in coal prices was the rise in coal prices. natural gas; They made gas generation less economical in 2021. This in turn caused a 3% drop in gas generation in 2021; and reduced their participation in the total generation.

Fuente: Rhodium Group, International Energy Agency

from their side , renewable They have continued to grow over the past year; With increasing generation and achieving 20% of electricity generation.

Similarly, the rhodium group explained that the sectors Transportation s energy electrical It saw the largest rise in emissions compared to 2020 of 10% and 6.6%, respectively. Conversely, buildings showed a smaller increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 with an increase of 1.9% over 2020.

On the other hand, the research group indicated that the US energy sector represents 38% of net emissions. In this sense, the country has seen the second largest increase in greenhouse gas emissions since 2020 levels. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), this is the first annual increase in coal generation since 2014.