Rhode Island Ranked 5th Best State for CO2 Emissions in EPA Data Report

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Jack Andrade, GoLocal Reporter

Rhode Island produced the 5^th fewest CO2 emissions of all the United States in 2012, according to a recent study using data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Energy Administration.

The study ranks all 50 states and the top 100 power companies for their emissions of C02 and other notable, harmful pollutants. The report was collaborated on by Ceres, Bank of America, the National Resources Defense Council, and several leading utilities.

The EPA is expected to institute new standards for CO2 emissions sometime in the next week, and Rhode Island and the other New England States should have a much easier time complying with upcoming standards than states that depend on producing energy as a backbone of their economy.

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The Stats

Rhode Island emitted 3.7 million tons of CO2 in 2012, the 5^th fewest among the states. Rhode Island had the 14^th lowest CO2 Emission Rate in 2012, emitting 902 pounds per megawatt hour.

(See slides below for the data for all the New England states)

Texas emitted the most CO2 of any state in 2012 with 261.2 million tons. Kentucky was the state with the highest CO2 Emission Rate at 2,099 pounds per megawatt hour.

Rhode Island also had the 4^th lowest Fossil-CO2 Emission Rate at 914 pounds per megawatt hour. The state’s coal-fired generation output was too low for the EPA to calculate a meaningful Emission Rate.

North Dakota had the highest Fossil Emission Rate at 2,382 pounds per megawatt hour. Mississippi had the highest Coal-CO2 Emission Rate at 2,430 pounds per megawatt hour.