Kentucky is one of 37 states where carbon dioxide emissions fell over the first 13 years of the century, according to a new federal data analysisreleased Tuesday by the Energy Information Administration.
In 2013, Kentucky emitted about 6 percent less carbon dioxide from its energy sector than it did in the year 2000. The data doesn’t show where the cuts occurred, but it’s likely they’re related to the several coal-fired power plants that have closed during that time period. In 2013, coal was still responsible for just over 60 percent of those emissions.
But Kentucky still emits much more carbon dioxide per person than most states. The national average is 16.7 metric tons per person; in 2013, Kentucky emitted about 31.1 metric tons of CO2 per person — the seventh highest in the nation.
