WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2020) Restrictions on economic activity from coronavirus containment measures promise to reduce US output of carbon dioxide by 11 percent in 2020, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report on Wednesday.
"This year, US energy consumption was heavily affected by responses to COVID-19, including working from home and other stay-at-home measures, closed or limited operating hours for several types of businesses, and travel restrictions," the report said.
Reduced consumption of petroleum products accounted for nearly half (45 percent) of the 2020 emissions reduction, with carbon output from the transportation sector falling 102 million metric tons in April to the lowest monthly level since February 1983, the report also said.
Natural gas accounted for 36 percent of the reduction in carbon output, with electricity generation consuming the largest amount of the clean burning fuel, the report added.
Coal emissions of carbon dioxide are expected to drop 4,597 million metric tons in 2020, or 19 percent of the total emissions reduction. Electric power companies are also the biggest users of coal, which peaked in 2007 before beginning to lose market share to natural gas and renewables, according to the report.
