Colorado Electric Utility Carbon Dioxide Emissions Declining
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Coal and petroleum CO nearly equal in 2015
Linecurrents graph -- EIA data
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates for annual carbon dioxide (CO2) gas emissions by fuel type due to combustion by Colorado consumers and industries are shown above. Calendar year 2015 data is the latest annual estimate available from EIA. Values are million metric tons (MMT).
Coal CO2 combustion emissions peaked in 2006 at 37.2 MMT. Electric utility powerplants are the largest consumers of coal in Colorado.
Petroleum Products CO2 combustion emissions peaked in 2007 at 35.1 MMT. Transportation consumes the majority of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, and aircraft fuel.
Natural Gas CO2 combustion emissions peaked in 2009 at 27.9 MMT. Natural gas combustion occurs in:
furnaces and boilers for residential, commercial and industrial indoor air heating
water heaters - residential, commercial and industrial
electric utility gas-fired turbine power generators.
The EIA Colorado estimates reveal that coal and petroleum CO2 combustion emissions were nearly equal in 2015 -- see chart above, red and and yellow lines crossing at right.
32.1 MMT - Coal
32.0 MMT - Petroleum
State of Colorado Statutes define Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) for electric utilities. RPS requires Colorado electric utilities to generate or purchase electric energy from wind-turbines, solar-PV and other "renewable" sources to reduce electricity generated by carbon-based fuel generators.
Colorado has no RPS requirements for transportation and buildings.