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Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

GHGRP 2013: Reported Data

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  • GHGRP 2013: Highlights
    • Power Plants
    • Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems
    • Refineries
    • Chemicals
    • Waste
    • Metals
    • Minerals
    • Pulp and Paper
    • Other
    • Suppliers
  • GHGRP 2012: Highlights
  • GHGRP 2011: Highlights
  • GHGRP 2010: Highlights
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For reporting year (RY) 2013, over 8,000 facilities and suppliers reported to the greenhouse gas reporting program. Among these reporters,

  • 7,879 facilities in nine industry sectors reported direct emissions
  • Reported direct emissions totaled 3.18 billion metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), about half of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
  • 965 suppliers reported
  • 92 facilities reported injecting CO2 underground

Summary GHGRP data has been broken into several sections. Click the links below to expand each section.


All greenhouse gas data presented here reflect the information reported to EPA as of 08/18/2014. The reported emissions exclude biogenic CO2 unless otherwise noted and use the Global Warming Potentials from the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report. spacer
  • Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Background

    As directed by Congress, EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) collects annual greenhouse gas information from the top emitting sectors of the U.S. economy (Table 1). The GHGRP is the only dataset containing facility-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data from large industrial sources across the United States. With four years of reporting for most sectors, GHGRP data are providing important new information on industrial emissions—showing variation in emissions across facilities within an industry, variation in industrial emissions across geographic areas, and changes in emissions over time at the sector and facility level. EPA is using this facility-level data to improve estimates of national greenhouse gas emissions, including using it to improve the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The data are also being used to inform regulatory actions and voluntary emission reduction efforts.

    This document summarizes national industrial sector emissions and trends.

    Table 1: GHGRP Sector Classifications

    Industry Sector Number of Reporters Emissions
    (Million Metric Tons CO2e)*
    Power Plants 1,570 2,100.9
    Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems spacer 2,162 224.1

    • Onshore Petroleum & Nat. Gas Prod.

    • Offshore Petroleum & Nat. Gas Prod.

    • Natural Gas Processing

    • Natural Gas Trans./Compression

    • Underground Natural Gas Storage

    • Natural Gas Local Distribution Co.

    • Liquefied Natural Gas Imp./Exp. Eq.

    • Liquefied Natural Gas Storage

    • Other Petroleum & Nat. Gas Systems

    503

    107

    433

    487

    48

    173

    8

    5

    413

    94.8

    6.2

    59.0

    22.7

    1.3

    15.1

    0.4

    **

    24.6

    Refineries 145 176.7
    Chemicals spacer 473 174.6

    Non-Fluorinated Chemicals

    • Adipic Acid Production

    • Ammonia Manufacturing

    • Hydrogen Production

    • Nitric Acid Production

    • Petrochemical Production

    • Phosphoric Acid Production

    • Silicon Carbide Production

    • Titanium Dioxide Production

    • Other Chemicals Production

    Fluorinated Chemicals

    • Fluorinated GHG Production

    • HCFC-22 Prod./HFC-23 Dest.

     

    3

    23

    109

    35

    65

    12

    1

    7

    226

     

    16

    4

     

    5.8

    25.1

    41.9

    10.9

    52.7

    1.8

    0.1

    2.4

    20.6

     

    9.4

    4.1

    Wastespacer 1,610 114.0

    • Industrial Waste Landfills

    • Municipal Landfills

    • Solid Waste Combustion

    • Industrial Wastewater Treatment

    174

    1,220

    67

    155

    8.6

    93.0

    10.0

    2.5

    Metals spacer 296 106.8

    • Aluminum Production

    • Ferroalloy Production

    • Iron and Steel Production

    • Lead Production

    • Magnesium Production

    • Zinc Production

    • Other Metals Production

    11

    10

    126

    13

    9

    6

    122

    6.8

    2.3

    84.2

    1.0

    1.4

    0.9

    10.2

    Minerals spacer 375 111.3

    • Cement Production

    • Glass Production

    • Lime Manufacturing

    • Soda Ash Manufacturing

    • Other Minerals

    96

    109

    75

    4

    93

    62.8

    8.2

    30.7

    5.3

    4.0

    Pulp and Paper spacer 233 39.1

    • Pulp and Paper Manufacturing

    • Other Paper Producers

    110

    123

    27.3

    11.8

    Other spacer 1,391 136.9

    • Food Processing

    • Ethanol Production

    • Manufacturing

    • Universities

    • Military

    • Other Combustion

    • Underground Coal Mines

    • Electronics Manufacturing

    • Electrical Equipment Manufacturers

    • Electrical Equipment Use

    322

    161

    290

    112

    43

    1,126

    123

    53

    6

    121

    30.8

    17.1

    16.7

    9.2

    2.5

    11.1

    41.5

    4.5

    0.2

    3.3

    a The data presented here reflects data reported to the GHGRP as of 08/18/2014.
    b Biogenic emissions are NOT included in the total emissions.
    ** Total reported emissions are less than 0.05 million metric tons CO2e.

    The GHGRP does not represent total U.S. GHG emissions, but provides facility level data for large sources of direct emissions, thus representing the majority of U.S. GHG emissions. The GHGRP data collected from direct emitters represent about half of all U.S. emissions. When including greenhouse gas information reported to the GHGRP by suppliers, emissions coverage reaches approximately 85–90% (See Figure 1). The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012 contains information on all GHG emissions sources and sinks in the United States.

    Learn more about the differences between the Inventory and the GHGRP.

    Figure 1: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
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    Suppliers report the quantity of GHGs that would be emitted if the fuels and industrial GHGs that they place into the economy each year are used/released. Reporting by suppliers helps account for the greenhouse gas emissions by the numerous low-emitting sources that are not required to report emissions under the GHGRP (e.g., mobile sources, residential sources). Learn more about suppliers and their 2013 reported data.

    Table 2: Overview of GHG Data Reported (2013)
    Direct emitters
    Number of facilities reporting 7,879
    Reported direct emissions (billion metric tons CO2e) 3.18
    Suppliers of fuel and industrial gases
    Number of suppliers 965
    Underground injection of carbon dioxide
    Number of carbon dioxide injection facilities 92
  • Who reports?

    For 2013, 7,865 direct emitters submitted a GHG report. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems sector had the largest number of reporting facilities, followed by the Waste Sector and the Power Plants Sector. Among suppliers, Suppliers of Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids had the largest number of reporting facilities.

    Table 3: Number of Direct Emitters that Reported (2013)
    Industry Sector Number of Reporters1
    Power Plants 1,572
    Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems 2,164
    Refineries 145
    Chemicals 473
      Fluorinated Chemicals 16
      Non-fluorinated Chemicals 457
    Waste 1,611
    Metals 296
    Minerals 376
    Pulp and Paper 233
    Other 1,399
      Underground Coal Mines 118
      Electrical Equipment Production & Use 127
      Electronics Manufacturing 53
      Other Combustion 1,101

    1 Totals sum to more than 7,879 because facilities whose activities fall within more than one sector are counted multiple times.

  • Reported Emissions

    In 2013, 3.18 billion metric tons CO2e were reported by direct emitters. The largest emitting sector was the Power Plant Sector with 2.1 billion metric tons CO2e, followed by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems Sector with 224 million metric tons (MMT) CO2e and the Petroleum Refinery Sector with 177 MMT CO2e. This information, as well as average emissions per reporter, is shown in the following chart.

    Figure 2: Direct GHG Emissions Reported by Sector (2013)
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    View this information in FLIGHT.

  • Emissions Trends

    National level trends in greenhouse gas emissions are available through the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012. The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is different from the U.S. GHG Inventory in that it collects information from the largest stationary sources in the U.S. and provides nearly complete emissions coverage for many of the largest emitting industries. Trends in emissions reported for individual industries are discussed in the industry-specific reports.

    Total U.S. emissions decreased by 3.4% from 2011 to 2012, based on the U.S. GHG Inventory. Between 2011 and 2012, emissions reported to the GHGRP declined by 4.5% (Table 4). This decline was driven by a 4.7% decline in emissions from power plants.

    The U.S. GHG Inventory is not yet available for 2013.  For sources reporting to the GHGRP, emissions increased by 0.62% from 2012 to 2013; this increase was driven by a similar increase in power plant emissions. Over the past three reporting years (2011-2013), GHGRP reported emissions have declined by 3.9%.  This decline is caused primarily by a 5.4% decline in reported emissions by power plants. Since 2010, emissions from power plants have decreased by 9.8%.

    Table 4: Emissions Trends for U.S. GHG Inventory and GHGRP (2011-2013)
      2011 2012 2013
    U.S. GHG Inventory
    Total emissions (million metric tons CO2e) 6,753 6,525.6 Not available
    Percent change in emissions from previous year -1.77% -3.37% Not available
    GHGRP
    Number of direct-emitting facilities 7,592 7,808 7,879
    Direct emissions (million metric tons CO2e) 3,314.2 3,164.8 3,184.3
    Percent change in emissions from previous year -4.5% 0.6%
    Table 5: Emission Trends by Sector (2011-2013)
    Sector 2011 Emissions
    (MMT CO2e)
    2012 Emissions
    (MMT CO2e)1
    2013 Emissions
    (MMT CO2e)
    Power Plants 2,221.3 2,088.1 2,100.9
    Oil & Gas 223.1 226.4 224.1
    Refineries 178.3 174.0 176.7
    Chemicals 179.2 170.9 174.6
      Fluorinated Chemicals 15.7 12.4 13.5
      Non-fluorinated Chemicals 163.5 158.5 161.1
    Waste 115.4 118.5 114.0
    Metals 112.8 106.9 106.8
    Minerals 103.2 107.5 111.3
    Pulp & Paper 44.2 42.5 39.1
    Other 136.8 130.0 136.9
      Underground Coal Mines 37.1 34.0 41.5
      Electrical Equipment Production & Use 4.3 3.5 3.5
      Electronics Manufacturing 6.1 5.6 4.5
      Other Combustion 89.3 86.9 87.4

    Figure 3: Trends in Direct GHG Emissions (2011-2013)
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    View this information in FLIGHT.

    (1) Non-fluorinated Chemicals and Fluorinated Chemicals are components of “Chemicals” in FLIGHT.
    (2) Other Combustion, Underground Coal Mines, Electronics Manufacturing and Electrical Equipment Production & Use comprise “Other” in FLIGHT.

  • Emissions by GHG

    Carbon dioxide is the GHG emitted in the largest quantities. The 2.9 billion metric tons of CO2 reported for 2013 represent 91.4% of the GHGs reported in 2013.a Methane emissions represent about 7% of reported 2013 GHG emissions, N2O represents about 0.8%, and fluorinated gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF6) represent about 0.7% (Figure 4).

    aThe Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Sinks for 2013 is not yet available. In 2012, CO2 represented 54% of total U.S. GHG emissions.

    Figure 4: Direct Emissions by GHG (2013)
    spacer

    The table below lists the primary sectors emitting each GHG.

    Table 6: Largest Sources of GHG Emissions
    Greenhouse Gas  Source Categories Contributing Most to Emissions1 Sectors Contributing Most to Emissions
    CO2 Electricity Generation (D), Stationary Combustion (C) Power Plants
    CH4 Municipal Landfills (HH), Petroleum & Natural Gas Systems (W) Waste, Petroleum & Natural Gas Systems
    N2O Nitric Acid Production (V), Electricity Generation (D), Adipic Acid Production (E) Chemicals, Power Plants
    SF6 SF6 from Electrical Equipment (DD), Magnesium Production (T) Other, Metals
    NF3 Electronics Manufacturers (I) Other
    HFCs HCFC–22 Production and HFC–23 Destruction (O) Chemicals
    PFCs Aluminum Production (F), Electronics Manufacturers (I) Metals, Other
    1 These source categories account for 75% or more of the reported emissions of the corresponding GHG. The subpart under which the emissions were reported is shown in parentheses.
  • Geographic Distribution of Emissions

    Figure 5: Location and Total Reported Emissions from GHGRP Facilities (2013)

    spacer

    This map shows the locations of direct-emitting facilities. The size of a circle corresponds to the quantity of emissions reported by that facility. There are also facilities located in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.

    Alaska
    spacer

    Hawaii
    spacer

    Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
    spacer

    Guam
    spacer


    Readers can identify facilities in their state, territory, county, or city by visiting FLIGHT.

    Because it generally applies to facilities that emit greater than 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year, the GHGRP provides total reported emissions from large stationary sources in each state. Figure 6 shows the reported emissions in each state broken out by industrial sector.

    Figure 6: Direct GHG Emissions by State and Sector (2013)

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    View this information in FLIGHT.

  • Emissions Range

    The GHGRP provides a comprehensive dataset that can be used to determine the number of facilities at various emissions levels in many industry sectors. The GHGRP can also be used to determine the total GHG emissions from individual facilities, including emissions from fossil fuel combustion and other processes. This information is valuable for planning future policies. GHGRP data provide policy makers with a better understanding of the number of facilities and total emissions that would be covered by potential GHG reduction policies for various industries.

    Figure 7: Percentage of All Reporting Facilities at Various Emission Ranges (2013)
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    Eighty percent of reporting facilities had emissions less than 250,000 metric tons CO2e. In 2013, the 629 largest-emitting facilities—those emitting more than one million metric tons CO2e—accounted for almost 2.3 billion metric tons CO2e. These emissions represent 84.8% of the total 3.18 billion metric tons CO2e reported. These high-emitting facilities are mainly Power Plants, but also include Petroleum Refineries and facilities in the Chemicals and Metals sectors.

    You can use FLIGHT to list and sort facilities based on total reported emissions and find the largest emitting facilities in the country or a specific state or county. This tool also allows you to sort facilities by specific industry types.

    Figure 8: Facility Emission Ranges (2012)
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  • GHGRP Calculation Methods Used

    The GHGRP prescribes methodologies that must be used to determine GHG emissions from each source category. Reporters generally have the flexibility to choose among several methods to compute GHG emissions. The decision of which method to use may

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