December 21, 2007—The CO2 emissions of 50,000 power plants worldwide have been compiled into a massive new database called CARMA—Carbon Monitoring for Action. The online database, compiled by the Center for Global Development (CGD), an independent policy and research organization, gives the locations, emissions, and owners of the plants, and highlights how different approaches to power generation can make huge differences in emissions.
The Web site ranks individual power plants. The data for total power-related emissions can be displayed by cities, states or provinces, and countries. For the US, emissions data are also available for Congressional districts, counties, and metro areas.
Globally, power generation emits nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 per year. The US, with over 8,000 power plants out of the more than 50,000 worldwide, accounts for about 25 percent of that total, or 2.8 billion tons. CARMA shows that the US’s biggest CO2 emitter is Southern Co., with annual emissions of 172 million tons, followed by American Electric Power Company Inc., Duke Energy Corp., and AES Corp.
The site also lists several large plants in the US that are emitting zero CO2 but produce substantial electricity, such as the Palo Verde plant near Phoenix, AZ; the South Texas plant in Wadsworth, TX; the Limerick plant in Pottstown, PA; the Vogtle plant in Wanyesboro, GA; the Byron plant in Byron, IL; and the Braidwood plant in Braceville, IL. All are nuclear power plants.
According to CARMA data, the Ohio River Valley, the southeastern US, and Texas are the dirtiest regions in terms of CO2 emissions. The least dirty CO2 region is the West Coast, where much of the electric power is generated by nuclear and hydroelectric plants.
Residents of Austin, Texas, including faculty and students of the University of Texas at Austin, have the highest-emitting power facility of any university town in the country, emitting some 400,000 tons a year.
The US power sector produces 2.8 billion tons of CO2 annually. China comes second with 2.7 billion tons; followed by Russia—661 million tons; India–583 million tons; Japan—400 million tons; Germany—356 million tons; Australia—226 million tons; South Africa—222 million tons; the UK—212 million tons; and South Korea—185 million tons.
CARMA shows low power sector CO2 emissions from Hungary, Algeria, Kuwait, Singapore, Belarus, Portugal, Chile, Denmark, and Brazil.
