Appendix C. Carbon dioxide emission factors for coal - coal energy plants - Statistical Data Included - Brief Article

Monthly Energy Review, April, 2002

Table C1 presents U.S. average carbon dioxide emission factors for coal by sector. The factors measure the emissions produced during the combustion of coal and were derived by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) from 5,426 sample analyses in EIA's Coal Analysis File. The factors are ratios of the carbon dioxide emitted to the heat content of the coal burned, assuming complete combustion.

Factors vary according to the rank and geographic origin of the coal. Sectoral factors reflect the rank and origin of the coal consumed in the sector.

Table C1. Average Carbon Dioxide Emission Factors for Coal by Sector

(Pounds of Carbon Dioxide per Million Btu)

                        Industrial

       Residential    Coke                         U.S.
           and       Plants   Other   Electric    Average
Year   Commercial     (a)     Coal    Utilities     (b)

1980      210.6       205.8   205.9     206.7      206.5
1981      212.0       205.8   205.9     206.9      206.7
1982      210.4       205.7   206.0     207.0      206.9
1983      209.2       205.5   205.9     207.1      207.0
1984      209.5       205.6   206.2     207.1      207.0
1985      209.3       205.6   206.4     207.3      207.1
1986      209.2       205.4   206.5     207.3      207.1
1987      209.4       205.2   206.4     207.3      207.2
1988      209.1       205.3   206.4     207.6      207.3
1989      209.7       205.3   206.6     207.5      207.3
1990      209.5       206.2   206.8     207.6      207.4
1991      210.2       206.2   206.9     207.7      207.5
1992      211.2       206.2   207.1     207.7      207.6
1993      209.9       206.2   207.0     207.8      207.7
1994      209.8       206.3   207.2     207.9      207.8
1995      210.2       206.4   207.2     208.1      207.9
1996      209.5       206.5   207.0     208.1      208.0
1997      210.2       206.6   207.2     208.2      208.0
1998      209.7       206.7   206.9     204.4      206.9
1999      208.8       206.7   207.0     204.6      204.8

(a) No allowances have been made for carbon retained in non-energy
coal chemical byproducts from the carbonization process.

(b) Weighted average. The weights used are consumption values by
sector.

Source: Energy Information Administration, Office of Coal, Nuclear,
Electric and Alternate Fuels.