EIA notes increase in carbon dioxide emissions due to economic growth

Overall rise of 2.7 percent from 1999 to 2000, 3.2 and 3.9 percent from residential and commercial sectors due mainly to heating

By Petroleum News Alaska

U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels rose by 2.7 percent in 2000, increasing from 1,517 million metric tons of carbon in 1999 to 1,558 MMTC in 2000, according to preliminary estimates released June 29 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.

The 2000 growth rate of 2.7 percent was the highest since 1996, when it was 3.6 percent. The EIA said that the large growth in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2000 can be attributed to a return to more normal weather, decreased hydroelectric power generation that was replaced by fossil-fuel power generation and strong economic growth, which at 5.0 percent represents the highest annual growth rate experienced during the 1992-2000 economic expansion.

Carbon dioxide emissions account for more than 80 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and are a good indicator of the change that can be expected in total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

On a sector level, preliminary data indicate that carbon dioxide emissions in the residential and commercial sectors increased by 3.2 and 3.9 percent, respectively, as a return to more normal weather in 2000 translated into higher fossil fuel use for heating purposes. Transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions, which account for about a third of total carbon dioxide emissions, increased by 2.6 percent in 2000 as a strong economy led to increased demand for travel.

Industrial emissions, which showed no growth in 1999, increased by 1.8 percent in 2000, the greatest growth since 1996.

Despite a slowing of the economy in the fourth quarter of 2000, overall economic growth helped to push emissions higher as gross domestic product expanded by 5 percent and manufacturing grew by 6.1 percent.

The EIA said it will continue to update its estimates of 2000 carbon dioxide emissions as more complete energy data become available and expects a full inventory of 2000 emissions of all greenhouse gases to be available in October.