Power Sector Emissions Rise as Gas Replaces Coal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Carbon emissions from electricity production increased last year as natural gas generation hit a record, offsetting the decline in coal power, the most detailed annual analysis of the sector’s emissions found.  

The latest analysis of air emissions for the country’s top 100 power producers released today, found power sector carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2024 were down about 40 percent from their peak in 2007, but only about 1 percent lower than 2020 levels. The increase happened despite the rapid increase in renewable energy, with solar becoming the fastest-growing power source for the first time.  

Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States, now in its 21st edition, examines and compares air pollutant emissions based on 2024 plant-level ownership, power generation, and emissions data. The benchmarking analysis is a collaborative effort between Constellation Energy and NRDC. It is authored by ERM. These 100 producers own approximately 4,200 power plants and account for nearly 80 percent of the sector’s generation. 

The report found that in 2024, the U.S. electric system continued shifting toward pre-COVID trends associated with zero-emitting generation growth and the decline of coal production. However, natural gas was responsible for more electricity generation in 2024 than any preceding year and fossil sources were responsible for nearly 60 percent of generation.  

The report examines data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding four power plant pollutants: sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), CO₂ and mercury. In 2024, electric sector SO₂ and NOx emissions were 96 percent and 90 percent lower, respectively, than in 1990 when Congress passed major amendments to the Clean Air Act.   

"The air is cleaner and climate safer because the power sector has moved away from coal, the dirtiest fuel. But now record production of power from natural gas means pollution from electricity is rising once again,” said Amanda Levin, director of policy analysis at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Instead of relying on dirty fossil fuels, utilities should be speeding their adoption of the most affordable and cleanest options available now: solar, wind and storage. We can't just replace one fossil fuel with another." 

Additional findings from the report

• The ongoing decline in coal generation continues, largely replaced by natural gas and renewable energy generation.
• Natural gas generation has increased by 18 percent since 2021 and now represents the leading source of power generation in the United States.
• Utility-scale solar and wind generation increased by 33 percent and 7 percent, respectively, between 2023 and 2024.
• 2024 was the first year in which solar and wind cumulatively generated more electricity than coal in the United States. In 2024, renewables and other zero-carbon resources generated approximately 40 percent of U.S. electricity, making zero-carbon resources the second-leading source of power generation in the United States behind natural gas.
• For the first year ever, solar was the fastest-growing generating resource (year-over-year, MWh basis).
• In 2024, power plant SO₂ and NOx emissions were 28 percent and 12 percent lower, respectively, than they were in 2022; however, NOx emissions slightly increased between 2023 and 2024 due to the increase in gas-fired generation. 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).