Summary of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2016, 2018 Edition
This report is from the California Air Resources Board.
The units used are Million Metric Tons of CO2 equivalent (MMTCO2e), which we will shorten to “CO2” or just “emissions” or “GHG”. California emissions in 2016 were 429, already reduced slightly below the 2020 target of 431. From 2015, GDP rose 3% to $2.3 trillion (in 2009 dollars), while carbon intensity dropped 6%. Population increased to 39.3 million. Per capita, there were 10.8 metric tons of CO2e. With a kilogram being 2.2 pounds, a metric tonne or 1,000 kg is 2,200 pounds or 1.1 USA tons. So 10.8 metric tons of emissions is about 12 USA tons per person in California.
The main source of emissions is tailpipe emissions in transportation, which rose from 37% to 39%. Refining adds another 2% to make 41%. Industry produces 23%. Electricity generation produces 16% and has dropped because of solar installations. 10% is from in-state production, and 6% is from out-of-state. Agriculture is 8%, Residential 7%, Commercial 5%, and less than 1% is unspecified.
Total emissions of transportation CO2 is 170. That is broken down as passenger vehicles 120, heavy duty 35, planes-trains-boats 10, and off-road 5.
Electricity production emissions dropped from 18% of emissions to 16% in 2016. In-state emissions were 41, with imports at 25. The Intensity of electricity used in metric tonnes of CO2 emitted per MegaWatt Hours produced was 0.20 for in-state, 0.26 for imported power, and 0.24 overall, as read from graphs.
In 2016, 46% of total state electricity used came from Zero GHG sources of solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear. Solar and wind were 20% of in-state power. Significant reduction of emissions came from the termination of long term coal contracts. There was a 33% growth of solar in 2016, and a ten-fold increase since 2011. Wind has been constant since 2013, at about 13 TWh (terawatt hours or 10^9 kWh.). Total electricity used from hydro, wind, and solar was about 71 TWh. Total solar was about 29 TWh. Total hydro was about 30 TWh.
In-state natural gas generation of electricity declined about 20% to about 96 TWh. Zero GHG sources of wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear produced about 90 TWh. Others, like bio and geothermal, produced 20 TWh. Total in-state production adds up to 206 TWh.
Imported electricity generation was from coal or natural gas of 24 TWh, Zero GHG of 51 TWh, and Unspecified to 21 TWh. Total imported generation adds up to 96 TWh.
Adding in-state and imported electricity production give 304 TWh, with imported being 32% of the total.
Residential and Commercial fuel consumption is largely for heating and air conditioning. We also have cooking and gas drying. The residential use produces emissions of 24, or 5.6% of total emissions. Total Residential is 7%. Yearly, this fluctuates with the amount of heating degree days. The commercial emissions of fuel usage is more constant at 13, or 3.0%. Total commercial is 5% of the California total.
Agriculture produces 8% of total emissions. 60% of that is from dairies. Livestock enteric fermentation produces methane emissions at 11.4. Manure management produces methane at 11.6. Fertilization also produces nitrous oxide, so crop growing and harvesting produces emissions of 6.9. The total is 29.9.
High Global Warming Potential greenhouse gases are mostly HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) use to replace the ozone depleting HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) previously used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and hair sprays. They give off 4.6% of emissions.
Recycling and Waste give off 2% of emissions, in terms of methane and nitrous oxide.
I’m not sure where the high GWP and Recycling fit into the total emissions sum.
The good news was the 2% decline in overall emissions from electricity production, the 33% increase in 2016 in solar, and the evolution of imported power to almost the same cleanness as in-state power. California had achieved its 2020 goal of reductions in 2016. Reductions must continue to accompany population growth and fluctuations in hydro and degree heat days.
The drawback was the continued steadiness of the leading source of emissions, transportation at 41%. And, the current battle with the Trump administration for California to maintain it waiver of Federal CAFE standards to maintain its own stricter fuel efficiency standards.
