Decline in Coal-Fired Power Reduces U.S. Carbon Emissions in 2019

"Greenhouse gas emissions in the United States dropped last year after a sharp increase in 2018," reports Nicholas Kusnetz. The news arrives via data released by Rhodium Group. After an increase in emissions in 2018, 2019's emissions reductions resume a "long-term downward trend driven chiefly by a shift away from coal power generation," according to Kusnetz.

"The story of the emissions decline has largely been one of market forces—rather than policies—that have made utilities close coal plants in favor of cheaper natural gas and renewable energy," adds Kusnetz. The story is all about coal, according to the article.

A key caveat included in the article is that the 2 percent reduction is not enough to meet the targets of the Paris Climate Accord.