How much electricity generated in the US comes from burning fossil fuels? Which Fossil fuel emits the most carbon dioxide and what % is that?
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2019, 62% of the electricity generated in the United States came from burning fossil fuels. Specifically, 23.4% of electricity was generated by burning coal, 38.4% was generated by burning natural gas, and less than 1% was generated by burning petroleum.
In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, coal emits the most carbon dioxide per unit of energy produced. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), coal-fired power plants accounted for approximately 1,047 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2018, which represents about 28% of the total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions that year.