Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 23, 2023

With the clean energy transition already under way, the US electricity mix is set to continue changing this year. Solar power is expected to make up about half of all additions of US electric generating capacity in 2023, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). I’ll start off with the good.

Fossil Fuels 176

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 176

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Responsible for 12 percent of all US global warming emissions from human activities, methane traps significantly more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, making it 86 times more harmful for the first 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere. Its primary component is methane. First, there’s air pollution.

Clean Energy 313

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 313

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 12, 2022

We also evaluated the potential to accelerate the use of renewable energy dramatically through state-level renewable electricity standards, which have been major drivers of clean energy in recent decades. Under the no-new-policy scenario, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides decline only by 27 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

Electricity 253

Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides 253

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) research shows that top fossil fuel producers’ emissions are responsible for as much as half of global surface temperature increase. Updated analysis from 2020 shows that emissions traced to the 88 largest carbon producers contributed approximately 60 percent?of

Fossil Fuels 296

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 296

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2022

The shift from fossil fuels in the 100% RES scenario reduces the amount of harmful air pollution from power plants much more than in our “No New Policy”/business-as-usual scenario. Just as important, cleaning up the power grid can also decrease carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. We can do this transition right.

Renewable Energy 361

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy 361

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 17, 2023

We need more electricity to transition our homes and cars off fossil fuels, but we can’t afford to let that electricity come from more gas power plants. Over the year, those plants emitted 661 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, more than 13% of the US’s energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.

Fossil Fuels 215

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Nitrogen Oxides Electricity 215

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2024

In New England, the percent of people of color living near fossil fuel power plants is up to 23.5 Dominion Energy is pushing to build the largest gas peaker plant in Virginia in an area where 44% of the residents are people of color and 25% are low income. Most notable of these polluting emissions are nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Fossil Fuels 254

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Air Pollution 254