Washington's Energy Indicators

25.  Environmental Trends — Energy-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions

WASHINGTON'S INCREASING RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS HAS LED TO STEADY GROWTH IN EMISSIONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE, THE PRINCIPAL GREENHOUSE GAS. PETROLEUM USE, PRIMARILY FOR TRANSPORTATION, ACCOUNTS FOR OVER 75 PERCENT OF CO₂ EMISSIONS IN WASHINGTON.

Washington’s continued dependence on fossil fuels for energy, particularly petroleum, has led to rapid growth in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the principal "greenhouse gas" contributing to global climate change. After dipping in the early 1980s, growth in carbon dioxide emissions accelerated after 1983 as the economy recovered from recession and oil prices plummeted. Washington’s CO₂ emissions grew by 3.4 percent per year between 1985 and 1995.

Consumption of petroleum products, the vast majority for transportation, accounts for over three-quarters of Washington’s CO₂ emissions. Emissions from coal are almost entirely from one source, the Centralia Steam Plant which burns coal to produce electricity. Emissions from this source declined sharply in 1995, as the plant was kept idle during much of the year due to low electricity prices. Natural gas contains less carbon per unit of energy than other fossil fuels, but still accounts for a larger share of Washington’s CO₂ emissions than coal.

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