EPA publishes state-level greenhouse gas emissions data

March 11, 2022

Hoosiers can now get a better understanding of greenhouse gas emissions released in the state of Indiana and where they come from.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released new and updated resources on greenhouse gas emissions data that include new state-level data for all U.S. states and territories.

The resources include a state-by-state greenhouse gas inventory, updates to the EPA’s State Inventory Tool and information on state-level opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Tackling the climate crisis requires action across all levels of government, and our partnership with states has never been more important to reduce emissions and deliver solutions,” said EPA administrator Michael S. Regan in a press release. “The high-quality, peer-reviewed data and analyses released today will support our state partners as we work to track climate trends and confront this challenge together.”

According to the data, 202 facilities in Indiana reported emitting a total 111.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020.

A majority of greenhouse gas emissions, 56.4%, came from power plants. A further 25.6% of total emissions came from the state’s metal manufacturing industry.

The largest source of greenhouse gases in the state in 2020 is Duke Energy Corp.’s coal-fired Gibson Generation Station in Owensville, with 11.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

The emissions from the plant’s five coal-fired generating units make up 10.2% of the total reported greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Only one of the units is scheduled for a 2026 retirement. The rest could continue operating until 2035.

The next three largest emitters are steel manufacturing facilities in northwest Indiana.

The Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. facilities at Indiana Harbor and at Burns Harbor accounted for 8.2 million and 7.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2020.

That amount will most likely fall in future inventories, as the company recently announced it would indefinitely idle two of the Indiana Harbor facility’s blast furnaces, potentially causing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Conversely, U.S. Steel Corp.’s Gary Works emitted 8.1 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020, and the company has said it would increase its production of carbon-intensive pig iron in 2022.

Overall, greenhouse gas emissions from power plants have dropped 42% since 2011, mainly due to the retirement of coal-fired power plants. Greenhouse gas emissions from the metal industry have fallen by about 21% in the same time period.

EPA publishes state-level greenhouse gas emissions data

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