U.S. power plant emissions of pollutants that harm human health and warm the planet fell last year as the industry continued a switch from coal to natural gas, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday.
The reductions occurred, despite a 2% rise last year in electricity demand in the lower 48 U.S. states, mostly due to the transition off coal, the fossil fuel that releases large amounts of pollution when burned.
The EPA said emissions of smog components nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide last year dropped 4% and 10%, respectively, compared with 2021. Emissions of mercury, a neurotoxin which can accumulate in the environment and make some kinds of fish unsafe to eat frequently, fell 3%. "Communities that live near power plants deserve the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards as everyone else,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. "Our work is far from done, but the data prove we're on the right path."
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