Frequently Asked Questions
How much carbon dioxide is produced per kilowatthour when generating
electricity with fossil fuels?
You can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced per kilowatthour (kWh) for specific fuels and specific types of
generators by multiplying the CO2 emissions factor for the fuel (in pounds of CO2 per million Btu) by the heat rate of a generator (in Btu
per kWh generated), and dividing the result by 1,000,000.
Below are the number of pounds of CO2 produced by a steam-electric generator for different fuels using the above formula and the
average heat rates for steam-electric generators in 2012 for calculating the amount of CO2 produced per kWh:
Lbs of CO2 per Million Btu
Fuel
Lbs CO2 per kWh
Heat Rate (Btu per kWh)
Coal
Bituminous
205.300
10,107
2.08
Sub-bituminous
212.700
10,107
2.16
Lignite
215.400
10,107
2.18
Natural gas
117.080
10,416
1.22
Distillate Oil (No. 2)
161.386
10,416
1.68
Residual Oil (No. 6)
173.906
10,416
1.81
Last updated: April 17, 2014
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