CO2 emissions from US power sector rose 4% last year
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- U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that CO2 emissions from the US electric power sector rose 4% (58 million metric tons) in 2025 due to growth in electricity generation and coal use.
- Total energy-related CO2 emissions across the economy increased by 2%, or about 115 million metric tons, compared with 2024.
- Net electricity generation rose 3% (12 TWh), surpassing 2024's record, fueled by hot summer weather that drove record peak demand for space cooling and growth from data centers and manufacturing facilities.
- Coal-fired electricity generation jumped 13%, adding 78 million metric tons of coal-related CO2 emissions in a sharp reversal of the fuel's long-running decline.
- Natural gas-fired generation fell 4%, cutting emissions by 23 MMmt, while wind generation rose 3% and solar generation rose 34%.
- Industrial and transportation sector emissions increases were small, curbed by energy efficiency gains and switches to less carbon-intensive fuels.
Why it matters: Coal-fired generation surged 13% in 2025, adding 78 million metric tons of CO2 and reversing the long decline in coal use. Solar grew 34% and wind 3%, but those gains were outpaced by overall demand growth from data centers, manufacturing, and record summer cooling. Power-sector emissions jumped 4%.
