Wisconsin’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by five percent in 2017 putting Wisconsin as 12th nationally in carbon intensity of its electricity. New US Energy Information Administration statistics show Wisconsin utilities’ coal-fired energy generation was up about 7.5 percent in 2017 even though renewable energy and gas use increased. Nationally, there was a 2.7 percent decrease in coal burning. Coal accounted for 55 percent of all Wisconsin electricity production. While Wisconsin utilities have retired 2,300 MW of power from coal plants, there are two new natural gas plants likely to come on line (Alliant Energy in Beloit and Dairyland Power in Superior) that would add 1350 MW of fossil fuel-generated capacity. wsj
Nationally, in 2018, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose approximately 3.4 percent. Researchers found the rise was fueled by higher electricity demand from a booming economy where natural gas was burned to meet the demand coupled by an estimated 1 percent emissions increase from the transportation sector. There was a large bump in emissions for the buildings and industrial sectors as well. This spike followed three years of declining US emissions. Forbes