Greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are poised for a record plunge this year, the result of coronavirus lockdown orders that have shuttered factories, closed stores and left cars and jets sitting idle. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, which include electricity generation and transportation fuel, will fall 14%, according to data released Tuesday by the Energy Information Administration. That’s almost double the decline the agency had forecast in April when it became clear that electricity consumption had slumped as the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped the U.S. economy. The earlier prediction for a 7.5% drop would have been the most this century.
The trend will likely start to reverse as stay-at-home orders are lifted and the economy recovers. The EIA expects electricity consumption to decline 5.7% this year, and then rebound by 1% in 2021. Emissions are also expected to creep up next year.