How much greenhouse gas do large U.S. facilities emit? EPA records 2010–2023 by facility, state and county
Large U.S. facilities reported 2.59 billion t of direct greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, 19 percent less than in 2010 and the lowest since EPA reporting began. Power plants fell 37 percent; Texas alone accounts for 19 percent. Every facility, county and state with its EPA record.
Questions this record answers
- How much greenhouse gas did large U.S. facilities emit in 2023?
- 2.59 billion t of direct emissions (CO2 equivalent) from 7,523 facilities, EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program; 19 percent less than in 2010.
- Which U.S. facility emitted the most greenhouse gas in 2023?
- James H Miller Jr in Quinton, Alabama, with 16.6 million t, followed by Labadie (Missouri) and Gen J M Gavin (Ohio).
- Which U.S. state has the highest facility greenhouse gas emissions in 2023?
- Texas, with 494.5 million t from 1,315 facilities, 19 percent of the U.S. total; then Louisiana (146.0 million t) and Pennsylvania (109.1 million t).
- How much have U.S. power plant emissions fallen since 2010?
- From 2.33 billion t in 2010 to 1.47 billion t in 2023, minus 37 percent, as reported to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
- Which U.S. county has the highest greenhouse gas emissions from large facilities?
- Harris County, Texas, with 83.8 million t from 218 facilities in 2023.
Cite as: FACTANKER, https://factanker.com/record/us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-large-facilities-2010-2023
What this covers. Direct greenhouse gas emissions, in metric tons of CO2 equivalent, that large U.S. facilities reported to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program: power plants, refineries, chemical plants, oil and gas operations, steel mills, cement kilns, landfills and others, generally those above 25,000 t a year. Biogenic CO2 and the quantities that fuel and gas suppliers report are excluded. Every facility figure links to its filed record; the totals are sums of those records.
How much greenhouse gas did large U.S. facilities emit in 2023, and how has that changed since 2010?
Large U.S. facilities reported 2.59 billion t of direct emissions in 2023, 19 percent less than in 2010 (3.20 billion t) and 22 percent less than in 2011 (3.32 billion t), the first year with oil and gas (subpart W) reporting. 2023 is the lowest year since EPA reporting began in 2010, below the pandemic year 2020 (2.61 billion t). 7,523 facilities reported emissions in 2023.
| Year | Direct emissions | Change vs. year before | Emitting facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.20 billion t | – | 6,256 |
| 2011 | 3.32 billion t | +4% | 7,599 |
| 2012 | 3.17 billion t | −4% | 7,829 |
| 2013 | 3.19 billion t | +1% | 7,920 |
| 2014 | 3.20 billion t | +0% | 8,087 |
| 2015 | 3.06 billion t | −5% | 7,982 |
| 2016 | 2.99 billion t | −2% | 7,644 |
| 2017 | 2.93 billion t | −2% | 7,571 |
| 2018 | 3.00 billion t | +2% | 7,680 |
| 2019 | 2.87 billion t | −4% | 7,690 |
| 2020 | 2.61 billion t | −9% | 7,653 |
| 2021 | 2.73 billion t | +4% | 7,629 |
| 2022 | 2.70 billion t | −1% | 7,579 |
| 2023 | 2.59 billion t | −4% | 7,523 |
Series with every facility: U.S. greenhouse gas emissions of large facilities.
How much have U.S. power plant greenhouse gas emissions fallen between 2010 and 2023?
Power plants emitted 2.33 billion t in 2010 and 1.47 billion t in 2023, a fall of 857.6 million t or 37 percent. That is more than the fall of all reported emissions together (602.0 million t), so all other sectors combined grew, mostly through wider oil and gas reporting. Power plants' share of the total went from 73 percent to 57 percent. 1,312 facilities reported power plant emissions in 2023.
Oil and gas systems rose from 222.3 million t in 2011 to 322.2 million t in 2023 (+45%), but part of that rise is wider coverage: gathering and boosting facilities have reported since 2016. All other sectors together — chemicals, refineries, minerals, waste, metals, pulp and paper, other — went from 874.4 million t in 2011 to 784.7 million t in 2023 (−10%).
| Sector | 2010 | 2011 | 2023 | Change 2011–2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Plants | 2.33 billion t | 2.22 billion t | 1.47 billion t | −34% |
| Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems | 78.8 million t | 222.3 million t | 322.2 million t | +45% |
| Chemicals | 164.0 million t | 180.4 million t | 184.8 million t | +2% |
| Refineries | 177.9 million t | 178.2 million t | 162.0 million t | −9% |
| Other | 89.3 million t | 141.6 million t | 118.1 million t | −17% |
| Minerals | 101.3 million t | 103.2 million t | 109.4 million t | +6% |
| Waste | 110.9 million t | 114.9 million t | 99.8 million t | −13% |
| Metals | 99.1 million t | 112.0 million t | 78.8 million t | −30% |
| Pulp and Paper | 46.2 million t | 44.2 million t | 31.7 million t | −28% |
| Injection of CO2 | – | 0.1 million t | 16.3 million t | – |
Which U.S. facilities emitted the most greenhouse gas in 2023?
Nine of the ten largest emitters in 2023 were fossil-fuel power plants (NAICS 221112); EXXONMOBIL Bt Site in Baytown, Texas (NAICS 324110) is the exception. Each figure links to the facility's EPA record for the year.
Which U.S. states had the highest greenhouse gas emissions from large facilities in 2023, and how did they change since 2011?
Texas alone reported 494.5 million t, 19 percent of the U.S. total, from 1,315 facilities, and is +9% against 2011. Of the other eleven states in the table, nine reported at least a fifth less than in 2011; the largest fall was Illinois (−47%).
| State | 2023 | 2011 | Change | Facilities 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 494.5 million t | 455.0 million t | +9% | 1,315 |
| Louisiana | 146.0 million t | 145.1 million t | +1% | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | 109.1 million t | 158.6 million t | −31% | 328 |
| Florida | 109.1 million t | 141.2 million t | −23% | 182 |
| Indiana | 108.6 million t | 166.2 million t | −35% | 198 |
| Ohio | 102.1 million t | 151.1 million t | −32% | 269 |
| California | 99.3 million t | 108.1 million t | −8% | 407 |
| Illinois | 72.3 million t | 137.2 million t | −47% | 222 |
| Alabama | 72.2 million t | 111.5 million t | −35% | 172 |
| Oklahoma | 70.8 million t | 89.0 million t | −20% | 277 |
| Michigan | 69.3 million t | 95.7 million t | −28% | 226 |
| West Virginia | 65.7 million t | 91.8 million t | −28% | 128 |
Which U.S. counties had the highest greenhouse gas emissions from large facilities in 2023?
Harris County, Texas leads with 83.8 million t from 218 facilities. Gallia County, Ohio is in the top ten with only 3 facilities. Every county with a reporting facility has its own page.
| County | Direct emissions 2023 | Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County, Texas | 83.8 million t | 218 |
| Jefferson County, Texas | 28.5 million t | 30 |
| Lake County, Indiana | 26.9 million t | 17 |
| Los Angeles County, California | 26.6 million t | 65 |
| Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana | 20.5 million t | 30 |
| Jefferson County, Alabama | 20.0 million t | 16 |
| Denver County, Colorado | 19.7 million t | 59 |
| Brazoria County, Texas | 18.4 million t | 17 |
| Gallia County, Ohio | 18.4 million t | 3 |
| St. Charles Parish, Louisiana | 18.2 million t | 15 |
Which large U.S. facilities reported the largest greenhouse gas declines between 2011 and 2023?
Seven of the ten facilities with the largest declines reported no emissions in 2023. Across the program, 3,048 facilities that reported emissions at some point between 2010 and 2023 did not report any in 2023; they closed, fell below the 25,000 t threshold or left the program. The decline counts a facility without a 2023 report as zero in 2023.
| Facility | State | 2011 | 2023 | Decline 2011–2023 | Last year with emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navajo Generating Station | Arizona | 16.9 million t | no report | 16.9 million t | 2019: 10.9 million t |
| Bruce Mansfield | Pennsylvania | 16.3 million t | no report | 16.3 million t | 2019: 0.8 million t |
| Scherer | Georgia | 22.1 million t | 7.6 million t | 14.5 million t | 2023 |
| J M Stuart | Ohio | 13.3 million t | no report | 13.3 million t | 2018: 2.0 million t |
| Monticello | Texas | 13.0 million t | no report | 13.0 million t | 2017: 10.1 million t |
| Rockport | Indiana | 15.5 million t | 3.1 million t | 12.4 million t | 2023 |
| San Juan | New Mexico | 11.8 million t | no report | 11.8 million t | 2022: 3.7 million t |
| Hatfield's Ferry Power Station | Pennsylvania | 10.4 million t | no report | 10.4 million t | 2013: 7.3 million t |
| Big Cajun 2 | Louisiana | 12.5 million t | 2.1 million t | 10.4 million t | 2023 |
| Wansley (6052) | Georgia | 10.0 million t | no report | 10.0 million t | 2022: 1.0 million t |
What does the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program cover for U.S. facilities 2010–2023, and what does it leave out?
The program collects annual reports from facilities that generally emit 25,000 t CO2 equivalent or more (some source categories report regardless of size), plus suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial gases. Transport, farms, homes and small businesses are largely outside it, so these totals are not the national inventory. The figures here are direct emissions only (scope 1). Biogenic CO2 from burning biomass and the supplier quantities are excluded, so a facility that only supplies fuel does not appear. Coverage widened after 2010 as further source categories began reporting, so early years count fewer facilities. Latest reporting year: 2023.
Sources and pages: source record EPA GHGRP · U.S. hub · Texas · electricity prices by state · natural gas prices.