Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Transportation Exceeded those from the Electric Power Sector for the First Time in 38 Years

Beginning in 1978, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the electric power sector remained higher than the CO₂ emissions produced in the transportation sector (based on 12-month running totals) until February 2016 when transportation was responsible for more emissions. There are several factors that have led to this change. On the transportation side, the recent rise in vehicle miles of travel has led to an increase in fuel consumption and subsequent rise in CO₂ emissions. Within the electric power sector, there was a decrease in CO₂ emissions from a high of 2,434 million metric tons (MMT) in 2008 to 1,810 MMT in May of 2016, about a 25% reduction. The decline in CO₂ emissions in the electric power sector is largely attributable to the decreasing use of coal for power generation.