To mitigate the effects of climate change, the Biden Administration is aiming to make the U.S. power grid emissions free by 2035.
However, state governments have broad discretion over their energy policy, while some are prioritizing emissions reduction, others remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels.
Currently, Texas stands out as a leader in clean energy production, but remains a heavy polluter.
The United States is one of the heaviest polluters in the world, and electric power generation is one of America’s heaviest polluting sectors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. emitted over 6.3 billion metric tons of harmful greenhouse gasses in 2022, more than every other country except China — and 25% of those emissions were created by electricity production.
With climate change emerging as a leading global threat, many countries are taking action to reduce emissions. In the United States, President Joe Biden set a goal of achieving an emissions-free power grid by 2035 — largely by cutting U.S. dependence on dirty power sources, like coal, and increasing our reliance on clean, renewable sources. (Here is a look at 11 American companies on the cutting edge of renewable technology.)
In the continuation of a longer term trend, the amount of electricity produced in coal-fired power plants has fallen by over 57% in the United States over the last 10 years, from 1.6 billion megawatt-hours in 2014 to 675.1 million megawatt-hours in 2023. Over the same period, electricity production from wind and solar farms nearly tripled, from 199.3 million megawatt-hours to 586.7 megawatt-hours. The shift has had a meaningful impact, as emissions from electric power generation have fallen by nearly 24% in the U.S. since 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The federal government has a long way to go to achieve its ambitious energy goals, and doing so will require the cooperation of states. Every state has its own climate, geography, and natural resources — as well as broad authority over energy policy — and some states are doing far more to reduce the climate impact of their power grid than others. (Here is a look at the states where carbon emissions are skyrocketing.)
Among the 50 states, Texas stands out as both the heaviest polluter, as well as the state producing the most energy from clean sources. Nationwide, coal accounts for only about 16% of electricity production and over half of all harmful gas emissions from the electric power sector. Meanwhile, clean energy sources, like wind and solar, account for nearly 20% of electricity production with virtually no harmful gas emissions.
Texas generated 71.6 million megawatt-hours of electricity with coal-fired power plants in 2023, more than any other state. However, through wind farms, and to a lesser-degree, solar power, Texas generated 148.8 million megawatt-hours of electricity, or about 27% of its total power production in 2023, from clean, renewable sources.
Still, Texas’ use of coal plants and reliance on natural gas generated over 213.9 million metric tons of harmful gas emissions in 2022, over 116 million more metric tons than Florida, the state with the second dirtiest power grid.
This is how Texas generates electricity — and how much pollution its power grid produces. Electricity output is measured in megawatt-hours and harmful gas emissions are measured in metric tons. For context, a single megawatt-hour is enough to power an average American home for just over a month, and a metric ton is equal to about 2,205 pounds. All data is from the EIA.
Why It Matters
Electricity production is one of the heaviest polluting sectors in the United States. As demand for electricity continues to rise, much of the country is transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward clean and renewable energy sources to meet the Biden Administration’s climate change mitigation goals. Texas produces more electricity from clean, renewable sources than any other state. However, through its continued dependence on fossil-fuels like coal and natural gas, Texas’ power grid also pollutes more than that of any other state.
Net-electricity production in 2023: 235,501 megawatt-hours
All other sources as share of Texas’ power grid: 0.04% of net-electricity production
Harmful gas emissions from all other sources in 2022: 9,723 metric-tons of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide
All other sources as share of harmful gas emissions from electricity production in Texas: 0%
Texas’ all other sources infrastructure in 2023: 101 generators, 95 facilities
All sources
Net-electricity production in 2023: 547.3 million megawatt-hours
Harmful gas emissions from all sources in 2022: 213.9 million metric-tons of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide
Texas’ all sources infrastructure in 2023: 2,104 generators, 821 facilities
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