Phase I Environmental Site Assessment

Energy Information Administration EIA Reports U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 20, 2008

U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rose by 1.6 Percent in 2007

U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels increased by 1.6 percent in 2007, from 5,888 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MMTCO2) in 2006 to 5,984 MMTCO2 in 2007, according to preliminary estimates released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The economy, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), grew by 2.2 percent and energy demand rose by 1.7 percent indicating that energy intensity (energy use per unit of GDP) fell by 0.5 percent. Carbon dioxide intensity (carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP) also fell by about 0.5 percent.

Factors that drove the emissions increase included weather conditions that increased the demand for heating and cooling services and a higher carbon intensity of electricity supply.

Total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have grown by 19.4 percent since 1990. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions account for over 80 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Preliminary fossil fuel consumption data indicate that: * Carbon dioxide emissions from the residential and commercial sectors increased by 4.4 percent and 4.3 percent respectively in 2007, as heating degree-days rose by 6.7 percent and cooling degree-days rose by 2.6 percent. The commercial sector includes all non-residential, non-industrial buildings, such as stores, office buildings, schools, hospitals, and government buildings.

* Industrial carbon dioxide emissions fell by 0.1 percent in 2007, continuing a trend of falling emissions since 2004.
* Transportation-related emissions, which account for about a third of total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, increased by 0.1 percent in 2007.
* With combined industrial and transportation emissions essentially flat, all the growth in emissions came from the residential and commercial sectors.
* Emissions from the direct use of natural gas in the residential sector grew by 8.3 percent, while growth in residential electricity use and changes in the generation mix caused emissions associated with the production of electricity used in residences
to grow by 3.9 percent.
* Emissions from the direct use of natural gas in the commercial
sector grew by 6.1 percent, while growth in commercial electricity use and changes in the generation mix caused emissions associated with the production of electricity used in the commercial sector
to grow by 4.2 percent.
* When electric power sector emissions are considered as a whole rather than being attributed to the end-use sectors that consume electricity, they are the largest single source of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, representing 40 percent of total emissions. In 2007, emissions from the electric power sector increased by about 71 MMTCO2 or 3 percent, while power generation increased by 2.5 percent. The increase in the emissions intensity of generation of 0.5 percent reflects, among other factors, a decline in non-fossil-fueled generation, as increased generation from wind and nuclear power of 6 and 19 billion kilowatthours, respectively, did not offset a drop in hydro-generation of 40 billion kilowatthours (kWh).

From 1990 to 2007, the carbon dioxide intensity of the economy fell by 26.6 percent or 1.8 percent per year. By 2006 (the latest year of data for all greenhouse gases), carbon dioxide intensity had fallen by 26.2 percent and emissions of total greenhouse gases per dollar of GDP had fallen by 27.7 percent.
EIA will continue to refine its estimates of 2007 carbon dioxide emissions as more complete energy data become available. A full inventory of 2007 emissions of all greenhouse gases to be issued in November 2008 will present revised energy data and provide a further analysis of trends.
The preliminary estimates are on EIA’s web site at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/flash/flash.html
_______________________________________________________________________ The analysis described in this press release was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. The information contained in the press release and the analysis should be attributed to the Energy
Information Administration and should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any policy position of the Department of Energy or any other organization. _______________________________________________________________________
-EIA-
EIA Program Contact: Perry Lindstrom, 202/586-0934; Paul McArdle, 202/586-4445 EIA Press Contact: National Energy Information Center, 202/586-8800
EIA-2008-05

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(Dallas, Texas - May 13, 2008) Business at the Mars Snackfood U.S. plant in Waco has never been sweeter. Today, members of the company were joined by officials from the Environmental Protection Agency to flip the switch on its first landfill gas project, a venture that will cut the company’s energy costs and the release of greenhouse gases into the environment.

The project will use methane gas that is piped in from the city landfill to power two furnaces that create steam for the plant’s candy-making operations.

“Turning waste into energy is a smart strategy for business and the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “EPA is pleased to be working with partners like Mars Snackfood on innovative projects like this one that deliver clean, renewable sources of energy.”

In addition to saving the company $600,000 a year in energy costs, the project will also reduce more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which has the same environmental impact of avoiding the emissions of 1,900 cars. Methane, a primary component of landfill gas, is a greenhouse gas over 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

“More than being a decision about the bottom line, this project is about taking responsibility for the future - for our business, for our Associates and their children, for our community, and definitely for our environment. And the story today is not simply about Mars alone. It is a story of deep commitment and concern by multiple partners at every level in government in Texas. Again, I congratulate our partners in government, especially the City of Waco, the County of McLennan and the EPA, for their visionary leadership and dedication to a sustainable future for all,” said MARS Snackfood US President Todd Lachman.

Mars Snackfood joins a growing list of companies to complete waste-to-energy projects as part of EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP). There are currently 21 operational projects in Texas and a total of 34 throughout the five-state area that makes up EPA Region 6.

To foster more development of waste-to-energy resources, EPA Region 6 has developed a pilot Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Strategic Geographic Planning tool that is designed to link waste producers with end users by identifying optimum locations for such projects. The region is currently working with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to expand the pilot to a national scale.

LMOP is a voluntary technical assistance and partnership program that helps businesses and communities reduce methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and use of landfill gas as a renewable energy source. The program also assists countries throughout the world in developing landfill methane reduction projects through the international Methane to Markets Partnership. Since 1994, LMOP has assisted in developing more than 330 landfill gas projects in the United States, reducing methane emissions by over 24 million metric tons of carbon equivalent.

Additional information on the LMOP program is available at http://www.epa.gov/lmop.
To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, please visit http://www.epa.gov/region6.
An EPA audio file is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/audio.htm#audio051308_mars.
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For more information, media may contact Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov
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