Carbon emissions from burning natural gas are expected to surpass emissions from burning coal, the federal government says.
That's not because natural gas emits more carbon dioxide but because coal use is declining and natural gas use is rising. The Energy Information Administration reports:
"Energy-associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from natural gas are expected to surpass those from coal for the first time since 1972.
"Even though natural gas is less carbon-intensive than coal, increases in natural gas consumption and decreases in coal consumption in the past decade have resulted in natural gas-related CO2 emissions surpassing those from coal.
"EIA's latest Short-Term Energy Outlook projects energy-related CO2 emissions from natural gas to be 10% greater than those from coal in 2016.
" ... Annual carbon intensity rates in the United States have generally been decreasing since 2005."
Read the full report here.