Ohio's energy-related CO2 emissions are falling
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Ohio's energy-related CO2 emissions per capita fell 34% from 2005 to 2023 — outpacing the U.S. drop of 30%, per federal data.
The big picture: Raw emissions fell 20% nationwide, while the population grew by 14%, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures.
Between the lines: The nationwide emissions decline was primarily a result of less coal being burned to generate electricity.
- An uptick in natural gas use, combined with clean wind and solar energy, "offset the decrease in coal generation," per the EIA.
Zoom out: Maryland (-49%); Washington, D.C. (-48%) and Georgia (-45%) saw the biggest decreases in energy-related emissions per capita.
- The needle barely moved in a handful of states, including Mississippi (-1%), Idaho (-3%) and South Dakota (-4%).
How it works: The agency's state-by-state data reflects where power plants are located (even if their energy is sent to other states) and where transportation fuels are sold (even if vehicles burn those fuels to cross state lines).