Greenhouse gas emissions by the United States of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electricity generation increased by 2.5%, and carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector increased even more, at 3%, indicating that U.S. utilities shifted towards energy sources that emitted more carbon. That shift was partially caused by a 40 billion kilowatt-hour decrease in hydropower production causing a greater reliance on fossil fuels like natural gas and coal. Carbon dioxide emissions from power plants fueled with natural gas increased by 10.5%, while coal-burning power plants increased their emissions by 1.8%. Paper is the fourth largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and one
Environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing life cycle of oil or coal. Until recently, Canadian provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia produced over half of their electricity from coal combustion whereas Ontario has already completely phased out coal-powered electricity. Switching from coal- to natural gas-powered electricity can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by ~50% and also decrease the amount of NOx and SOx emitted to atmosphere. Lack of baseline data or before-and-after hydraulic fracturing sample collection and analysis makes it challenging to quantify environmental impacts (if any) resulting from hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing fluids include proppants and other substances, which may include toxic chemicals. In