Source (requires subscription):
U.S. electric power plant
SO2 and NOx emissions
( real pollution )
decreased 92% and 84%,
respectively, since Congress
passed major amendments
to the Clean Air Act in 1990.
Mercury air emissions
( dangerous real pollution )
from power plants
decreased 90% since 2000,
as 2015 federal limits
on mercury and other
hazardous air pollutants
from coal-fired power plants.
The findings from a report titled
"Benchmarking Air Emissions
of the 100 Largest Electric Power
Producers in the United State",
authored by M.J. Bradley &
Associates, and released
in June 2019.
M.J. Bradley works with Ceres;
Bank of America; power producers
Entergy and Exelon; and the
Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC).
Ceres is a
nonprofit organization
focused on sustainability.
Power sector releases of CO2
increased 1% between 2017
and 2018, although CO2 emissions
have decreased 25% since peaking
in 2007, even as U.S. gross domestic
product grew more than 35%
over the same period.
The report says electricity
accounted for almost 40%
of primary energy use
in the U.S. in 2018.
There's a lot of variation
in carbon emission rates
among U.S. power producers.
Five of the 20 largest generators
emit more than 1,500 lb of CO2/MWh
while five others emit less than
650 lb of CO2/MWh.
With its large nuclear fleet,
Exelon emitted the least
—107 lb of CO2/MWh
(less than a quarter the amount
of any other producer)
—while, of the top 20 producers,
Ameren was at the high end,
emitting 1,696 lb of CO2/MWh.