Four Great Lakes states rank in the top ten–for 2010 power plant carbon dioxide emissions.
A recent report by the Environmental Integrity Project shows carbon dioxide emissions from power plants rose 5.56 percent nationwide. More than 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide, a common greenhouse gas, were released nationally.
Texas topped the list with about 257 million tons. Ohio led the Great Lakes states and placed third nationally.
Staff used data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Markets database.
Sulfur dioxide emissions decreased nationwide between 2009 and 2010 while nitrogen oxide increased slightly.
Below are the carbon dioxide emission rankings for the Great Lakes states:
Carbon dioxide emissions from power plants increased in 2010, and Great Lakes states contributed. Photo: Bill McCoy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
3: Ohio 124,966,157 tons
4: Indiana 124,966,157 tons
5: Pennsylvania 123,345,742 tons
6: Illinois 107,082,730 tons
12: Michigan 74,375,752 tons
16: Wisconsin 50,047,776 tons
23: New York 40,031,704 tons
28: Minnesota 34,123,976 tons
Because some states are more industrial and with differing populations, a better way to report these emissions would be on a specific basis, such as tons CO2/MWhr of electrical generation.