Key Facts and Figures
This page contains key facts and figures based on greenhouse gas emissions data reported to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for 2019. The graphics serve as examples of the types of materials that can be generated using the Facility Level Information on Greenhouse Gases Tool (FLIGHT).
EPA Greenhouse Gas Data Sets
EPA has two complementary programs that publish annual data on U.S. GHG emissions:
Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (Inventory)
- Comprehensive national estimates
- Drawn from national-level statistics
- Tracks annual GHG emissions from all sources in U.S. since 1990
- 2019 data will be available in the spring of 2021
- View the Inventory Report
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP)
- Facility-level data covering largest emitters (usually over 25,000 MTCO2e)
- Approximately 7,600 facilities report direct emissions, covering approximately 50 percent of total U.S. emissions
- Annual data available are available for 2010 onward
- Data allows emissions tracking by state or region
- 2019 data were published in November 2020
- Visit the GHGRP
- Learn more about the differences between the Inventory and the GHGRP.
U.S. GHG Emissions (Inventory)
The pie chart below shows total U.S. emissions from the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 2018 by sector. Total U.S. emissions in 2018 were 6,677 Million Metric Tons CO2e. The pie pieces colored in blue and purple represent the sectors that contain facilities reporting direct emissions to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The vast majority of emissions from electricity generation and industry are covered. Generally, facilities that emit over 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year are required to report.
GHGRP: Facility-Level Emissions
The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is the only program that collects facility-level greenhouse gas data from major industrial sources across the United States. The GHGRP requires annual reporting of GHGs by 41 source categories, including power plants, oil and gas production and refining, iron and steel mills, and landfills.
For most industrial sectors, facilities that emit over 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year are required to report. In 2019, approximately 7,600 facilities reported direct emissions to the GHGRP, covering approximately 50 percent of total U.S. emissions.
This map shows the location and total reported emissions from each facility reporting direct emissions to the GHGRP.
Reported Emissions by Sector
This image shows the major industrial sectors reporting direct emissions to the program, ranked by total sector emissions. The grey box to the right of each bar shows average emissions per facility for each sector. Power Plants are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, both in terms of total emissions and emissions per facility. The oil and gas industry is the second largest sector, in terms of total stationary-source emissions reported to the GHGRP. Refineries have the second highest emissions per facility, after power plants.
Observe total reported emissions by sector using FLIGHT.
State GHG Emissions Map – Power Plants
Power plants are the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States, accounting for more than one-quarter of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions. This map shows the total reported emissions from power plants by state in 2019 and the number of reporting power plants in each state.
Use FLIGHT to see total reported emissions from this sector by state.
Petroleum & Natural Gas Systems
After the power plant sector, petroleum and natural gas systems were the second largest sector reporting greenhouse gas emissions to EPA. The map below shows the location and total reported emissions from onshore oil and gas production in each basin.*
Trends in Reported Emissions
Using EPA's FLIGHT tool, users can see trends by facility, sector, or geographic region. Here we see trends for the power sector. From 2018 to 2019, emissions reported by power plants decreased by 8.1 percent and are now 24.9 percent below 2011 levels.
How to Learn More
FLIGHT can be used to generate custom queries and produce maps, pie charts, trend lines, bar charts and lists of facilities. The images here are examples of the types of output.
Visit our Tutorials page for more information Exit.
Tutorials include:
- How do I find the largest emitter in my state?
- Where can I find emissions trend information?
- How can I compare GHG emissions from different industries?
- How do I find a facility in my town?