Clean Air Markets (Coal Data)

The US EPA and US EIA both have many online resources where you can learn more about coal, electricity generation, and related topics:

• EIA Coal FAQs
• EIA Electricity FAQs
• EIA energy-related carbon dioxide emissions analysis
• EPA's cap and trade policy page
• Environmental issues being addressed by the EPA Clean Air Markets Programs.

For a comprehensive source of data on the environmental characteristics of almost all electric power generated in the United States, see the EPA's eGRID.

The total US energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by the electric power sector in 2013 were 5,396 million metric tons, or about 41.5 % of total US energy-related CO2 emissions.

About 2,100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions were attributable to electricity generated from coal.

For more information, see the latest analysis from the US EIA.

In 2013, the United States generated about 4,058 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. About 67% of the electricity generated was from fossil fuel (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), with 39% attributed from coal.

See a complete breakdown of all energy sources from the US EIA.

There are about 19,000 individual generators at about 7,000 operational power plants in the United States with a nameplate generation capacity of at least one megawatt. A power plant can have one or more generators, and some generators may use more than one type of fuel.

The Clean Air Markets Program Division (CAMD), or simply "Clean Air Markets," answers scientific, general, policy, and regulatory questions about industry emissions. The program is designed to improve air quality and ecosystems by lowering outdoor concentrations of fine particles, mercury, ozone, and other significant air emissions. The most well-known of these programs are EPA's Acid Rain Program and the NOx Trading Programs, which reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)-- compounds produced by fossil fuel combustion.

TOXMAP's coal data includes all facilities in all programs covered in the AMPD's most recently completed calendar year whose primary or secondary fuel type is coal-related (e.g., Coal, Coal Refuse, and Petroleum Coke).