2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

GHGRP 2012 OVERVIEW OF REPORTED DATA

Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Background

As directed by Congress, EPA’s Greenhouse Gas 

Reporting Program (GHGRP) collects annual greenhouse 

gas information from the top emitting sectors of the U.S. 

economy (Table 1). The GHGRP is the only dataset 

containing facility-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 

data from major industrial sources across the United 

States. With three years of reporting for most sectors, 

GHGRP data are providing important new information on industrial emissions—showing variation 

in emissions across facilities within an industry, variation in industrial emissions across geographic 

areas, and changes in emissions over time at the sector and facility level. EPA is using this facilitylevel data to improve estimates of national greenhouse gas emissions, including using it to improve 

the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The data are also being used to inform regulatory actions and 

voluntary emission reduction efforts. 

This document summarizes national industrial sector emissions and trends. 

Table 1: GHGRP Sector Classifications

Power Plants Refineries Chemicals Fluorinated 

Chemicals Waste

− Electricity 

Generation

− Petroleum 

Refineries

− Adipic Acid Production

− Ammonia Manufacturing

− Hydrogen Production

− Nitric Acid Production

− Phosphoric Acid Production

− Petrochemical Production

− Silicon Carbide Production

− Titanium Dioxide Production

− Other Chemicals Production

− Fluorinated 

Gas 

Production

− HCFC-22 

Production/

HFC-23

Destruction

− Municipal 

Landfills

− Industrial 

Waste Landfills

− Industrial 

Wastewater 

Treatment

− Solid Waste 

Combustion

Metals Minerals Pulp & Paper Petroleum & Natural Gas 

Systems – Direct Emissions

− Aluminum Production

− Ferroalloy Production

− Iron & Steel Production

− Lead Production

− Zinc Production

− Magnesium Production

− Other Metals 

Production

− Cement 

Production

− Glass Production

− Lime 

Manufacturing

− Soda Ash 

Manufacturing

− Other Minerals 

Production

− Chemical Pulp & 

Paper 

Manufacturing

− Other Paper 

Producers

− Onshore Production

− Offshore Production

− Natural Gas Processing

− Natural Gas 

Transmission/Compression

− Natural Gas Distribution

− Underground Natural Gas 

Storage

− Liquefied Natural Gas Storage

− Liquefied Natural Gas 

Import/Export

− Other Petroleum and Natural 

Gas Systems

All greenhouse gas data presented 

here reflect the most recent 

information reported to EPA as of

09/01/2013. The reported 

emissions exclude biogenic CO2

unless otherwise noted.

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Other Electrical 

Equipment

Electronics 

Manufacturing Mining

− Stationary Fuel 

Combustion at facilities 

that are not part of any 

other sector, including 

Food Processing, 

Ethanol Production, 

General Manufacturing, 

Universities, Military 

Installations, Others 

− Electrical 

Equipment 

Manufacture & 

Refurbishment

− Electrical

Transmission and 

Distribution 

Equipment Use

− Electronics 

Manufacturing

− Underground Coal Mines

Carbon Dioxide Supply 

and Injection

Petroleum Product 

Suppliers

Natural Gas and 

Natural Gas 

Liquids Suppliers

Industrial Gas Suppliers

− Suppliers of CO2

− Injection of CO2

− Geologic Sequestration 

of CO2 

− Suppliers of CoalBased Liquid 

Fuels

− Suppliers of 

Petroleum 

Products

− Fractionators of 

Natural Gas 

Liquids

− Local Natural Gas 

Distribution 

Companies

− Suppliers of Industrial 

Greenhouse Gases 

− Imports and Exports of 

Equipment Pre–charged with 

Fluorinated GHGs or 

Containing Fluorinated GHGs 

in Closed–cell Foams

The GHGRP does not represent total U.S. GHG emissions, but provides facility level data for large 

sources of direct emissions, thus including the majority of U.S. GHG emissions. The GHGRP data 

collected from direct emitters represent about half of all U.S. emissions. When including greenhouse 

gas information reported by suppliers to the GHGRP, emissions coverage reaches approximately 

85-90% (See Figure 1). The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012

contains information on all GHG emissions sources and sinks in the United States. 

Learn more about the differences between the Inventory and the GHGRP.

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Figure 1: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

Suppliers are those entities that supply products into the economy that, if combusted, released, or 

oxidized, would emit GHGs into the atmosphere. Emissions associated with these fuels and 

industrial gases do not occur at the supplier’s facility but instead occur throughout the country, 

wherever they are used. An example of this is gasoline, which is supplied into the U.S. economy by a 

relatively small number of entities and consumed by many individual vehicles throughout the 

country. The majority of GHG emissions associated with the transportation, residential, and 

commercial sectors are accounted for by these suppliers. This document focuses on data reported 

by direct emitters. Data reported by suppliers can be viewed through the suppliers section of the 

Facility Level Information on GreenHouse gases Tool (FLIGHT). 

Table 2: Overview of GHG Data Reported (2012) 

Direct emitters

Number of facilities that reported 

direct GHG emissions 7,809

Direct emissions reported (billion 

metric tons CO2e) 3.13

Suppliers of fuel and industrial gases 

Number of suppliers 937

Carbon dioxide injection

Number of carbon dioxide 

injection facilities 87

Number of carbon dioxide 

sequestration facilities 0

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Who Reports?

For 2012, 7,809 direct emitters submitted a GHG report. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems 

sector had the largest number of reporting facilities, followed by the Power Plants Sector and the 

Waste Sector. Among suppliers, Suppliers of Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids had the largest 

number of reporting facilities. 

Table 3: Number of Direct Emitters that Reported (2012)

Industry Sector Number of 

Reporters1

Power Plants 1,611

Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems 2,058

Refineries 144

Chemicals 463

Fluorinated Chemicals 16

Non-fluorinated Chemicals 447

Waste 1,611

Metals 297

Minerals 369

Pulp and Paper 232

Other 1,419

Underground Coal Mines 151

Electrical Equipment Production & Use 129

Electronics Manufacturing 53

Other Combustion 1,090

1 Totals sum to more than 7,809 because facilities with production processes in more than one 

sector are counted multiple times.

Table 4: Number of Suppliers that Reported (2012)

Supply Sector Number of 

Reporters2

Suppliers of Coal-Based Liquid Fuels 1

Suppliers of Petroleum Products 234

Suppliers of Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids

Natural Gas Distribution 365

Natural Gas Liquids Fractionation 119

Suppliers of Industrial GHGs

Industrial GHGs 58

Imports and Exports of Equipment Pre–charged 

with Fluorinated GHGs or Containing 

Fluorinated GHGs in Closed–cell Foams

44

Suppliers of Carbon Dioxide 137

2 Totals sum to more than 883, because suppliers that fall into more than one sector are counted 

multiple times. 

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Reported Emissions

All GHG emissions data, displayed in units of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) reflect the global 

warming potential (GWP) values from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 

Climate Change 1995: The Science of Climate Change (Second Assessment Report (SAR), 

Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press). The SAR values also can be found in the 

version of Table A-1 to 40 CFR part 98, published in the Federal Register on October 30, 2009 (74 

FR 56395). 

In 2012, 3.13 billion metric tons CO2e were reported by direct emitters. The largest emitting sector 

was the Power Plant Sector with 2.09 billion metric tons CO2e, followed by the Petroleum and 

Natural Gas Systems Sector with 217 million metric tons (MMT) CO2e and the Petroleum Refinery 

Sector with 173 MMT CO2e. This information, as well as average emissions per reporter, is shown in 

Figure 2. 

Figure 2: Direct GHG Emissions Reported by Sector (2012) 

Click here to view this information in FLIGHT.

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Emission Trends

National level trends in greenhouse gas emissions are available through the Inventory of U.S. 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012. The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program collects 

information from the largest stationary sources in the U.S. and provides nearly complete emissions 

coverage for many of the largest emitting industries. Discussion of the trend in reported emissions 

from 2010 (or in some cases 2011) to 2012 from individual industries that report to the GHGRP is 

included in the industry specific reports. 

While total U.S. emissions decreased by 1.8% from 2010 to 2011, emissions reported to the GHGRP

increased over this period (Table 5). The increase occurred because 12 source categories were 

required to begin reporting for the first time in 2011. For these industries, 2011 is the appropriate 

base year for determining trends in reported emissions. Trends for other sectors can be determined 

using GHGRP data beginning in 2010 (Figure 3). 

Total U.S. emissions decreased by 3.4% from 2011 to 2012 based on the Inventory of U.S. 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012 (April 2014). For facilities that reported to the 

GHGRP in 2011 and 2012, emissions declined by 4.5% (Table 5). This decline was driven by a 4.7% 

decline in emissions from power plants. In the two years since reporting began, emissions from 

power plants have decreased 10 percent. 

Table 5: Emissions Trends for U.S. GHG Inventory and GHGRP (2010-2012)

2010 2011 2012

U.S. GHG Inventory

Total emissions (million metric 

tons CO2e) 6,848.6 6,726.6 6,501.5

Percent change in emissions from 

previous year -- -1.8% -3.4%

GHGRP

Number of direct-emitting facilities 6,267 7,6121 7,809

Direct emissions (million metric 

tons CO2e) 3,180 3,2751 3,129

Percent change in emissions from 

previous year -- -- -4.5%

1 Twelve additional source categories began reporting in 2011. 

Table 6: Emission Trends by Sector (2010-2012) 

Sector 2010 Emissions

(MMT CO2e)

2011 Emissions

(MMT CO2e) 1

2012 Emissions

(MMT CO2e)

Power Plants 2,330.8 2,221.9 2,090.0

Oil & Gas NR 209.8 217.1

Refineries 177.7 177.9 173.3

Chemicals NR 178.4 170.4

Fluorinated Chemicals NR 13.9 11.7

Non-fluorinated Chemicals 156.0 164.5 158.7

Waste NR 98.8 99.9

Metals NR 112.3 106.8

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Minerals 101.1 103.2 107.5

Pulp & Paper 45.8 43.8 42.1

Other NR 128.9 122.8

Underground Coal Mines NR 29.9 27.7

Electrical Equipment 

Production & Use NR 4.5 3.6

Electronics Manufacturing NR 5.6 5.1

Other Combustion 89.2 88.9 86.4

1 Twelve additional source categories began reporting in 2011. 

NR means that emissions are not shown for the 2010 reporting year for sectors in which some 

source categories in the sector were not required to be reported in 2010.

Figure 3: Trends in Direct GHG Emissions (2010-2012)

Click here to view this information in FLIGHT.

(1) In reporting year 2011, emissions for some processes in this sector were reported for the first time.

(2) Non-fluorinated Chemicals and Fluorinated Chemicals are components of “Chemicals” in FLIGHT. 

(3) Other Combustion, Underground Coal Mines, Electronics Manufacturing and Electrical Equipment 

Production & Use comprise “Other” in FLIGHT.

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Emissions by GHG

Carbon dioxide represented 92.2% of the GHGs reported in 2012. The reported 2.89 billion metric 

tons represents about 54%1 of total U.S. CO2 emissions. Reported methane emissions were 192.0 

MMT CO2e of methane, representing about 34%1 of total U.S. methane emissions. Facilities reported 

29.5 MMT CO2e of N2O, representing about 7%1 of total U.S. N2O emissions. Finally, reported 

emissions of fluorinated gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF6) represent about 13%1 of U.S. emissions of these 

compounds. 

Figure 4: Direct Emissions by GHG (2012)

The table below lists the primary sectors emitting each GHG. 

Table 7: Largest Sources of GHG Emissions

Greenhouse 

Gas

Source Categories Contributing Most to 

Emissions1

Sectors Contributing Most to 

Emissions 

CO2

Electricity Generation (D), Stationary 

Combustion (C) Power Plants

CH4

Municipal Landfills (HH), Petroleum & 

Natural Gas Systems (W) 

Waste, Petroleum & Natural Gas 

Systems

N2O Nitric Acid Production (V), Electricity 

Generation (D), Adipic Acid Production (E) Chemicals, Power Plants

SF6

SF6 from Electrical Equipment (DD), 

Magnesium Production (T) Other, Metals

NF3 Electronics Manufacturers (I) Other

1 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Sinks: 1990-2012 (April 2014)

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Greenhouse 

Gas

Source Categories Contributing Most to 

Emissions1

Sectors Contributing Most to 

Emissions 

HFCs HCFC–22 Production and HFC–23 

Destruction (O) Chemicals 

PFCs Aluminum Production (F), Electronics 

Manufacturers (I) Metals, Other

1 These source categories account for 75 percent or more of the reported emissions of the 

corresponding GHG. The subpart under which the emissions were reported is shown in 

parentheses.

Geographic Distribution of Emissions

Figure 5: Location and Total Reported Emissions from GHGRP Facilities (2012)

This map shows the locations of direct-emitting facilities. The size of a circle corresponds to the 

quantity of emissions reported by that facility. There are also facilities located in Alaska, Hawaii, 

Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. 

Readers can identify facilities in their state, territory, county, or city by visiting FLIGHT 

(http://ghgdata.epa.gov/ghgp/main.do). 

Because it generally applies to facilities that emit greater than 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year, 

the GHGRP provides total reported emissions from large stationary sources in each state. Figure 6 

shows the reported emissions in each state broken out by industrial sector. 

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Figure 6: Direct GHG Emissions by State and Sector (2012)

Click here to view this information in FLIGHT.

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Emissions Range

The GHGRP provides a comprehensive dataset that can be used to determine the number of 

facilities at various emissions levels in many industry sectors. The GHGRP can also be used to 

determine the total GHG emissions from individual facilities, including emissions from fossil fuel 

combustion and other processes. This information is valuable for planning future policies. GHGRP 

data provide policy makers with a better understanding of the number of facilities and total 

emissions that would be covered by potential GHG reduction policies for various industries. 

Figure 7: Percentage of All Reporting Facilities at Various Emission Ranges (2012)

Eighty percent of reporting facilities had emissions less than 250,000 metric tons CO2e. In 2012, the 

650 largest-emitting facilities—those emitting more than 1,000,000 metric tons CO2e—accounted 

for almost 2.3 billion metric tons CO2e. These emissions represent 73% of the total 3.13 billion 

metric tons CO2e reported. These high-emitting facilities are mainly Power Plants, but also include

Petroleum Refineries, and facilities in the Chemicals and Metals sectors.

You can use FLIGHT to list and sort facilities based on total reported emissions and find the largest 

emitting facilities in the country or a specific state or county. This tool also allows you to sort 

facilities by specific industry types.

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

Figure 8: Facility Emission Ranges (2012)

GHG Calculation Methods Used

The GHGRP prescribes methodologies that must be used to determine GHG emissions from each 

source category. Reporters generally have the flexibility to choose among several methods to

compute GHG emissions. The decision of which method to use may be influenced by the existing 

environmental monitoring systems in place and other factors. Reporters can change emission 

calculation methods from year to year and within the same year, as long as they meet the 

requirements for use of the method selected. Additional information on the methodologies that 

reporters use to determine GHG emissions is available here. 

Report Verification

All reports submitted to EPA are evaluated by electronic validation and verification checks. If 

potential errors are identified, EPA will notify the reporter, who can resolve the issue either by 

providing an acceptable response describing why the flagged issue is not an error or by correcting 

the flagged issue and resubmitting their annual GHG report. Additional information describing 

EPA’s verification process in more details is available here. 

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2010-2011-2012 GHGRP Industry Profiles Overview

For More Information

For more detailed information from each industrial sector, view the GHGRP Data Highlights and 

select an industry from the text box on the right hand side.

Use FLIGHT to view maps of facility locations, obtain summary data for individual facilities, create 

customized searchers, and display search results graphically.

Downloadable spreadsheets containing summary data reported to the GHGRP from each reporter 

are available on the Data Downloads page.

All other publicly available data submitted to the GHGRP are available for download through 

Envirofacts. 

The U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory contains information on all sources of GHG emissions and 

sinks in the United States from 1990 to 2012. 

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