Who are the top climate polluters in the country?
Power plants are some of America's biggest climate polluters. That may change in the years to come.
America’s most polluting power plants emit more greenhouse gas pollution than some entire states. New standards addressing pollution from those plants and the growth of wind and solar energy could make a big difference for the climate.
A large share of the climate pollution produced in the United States comes from just a handful of big polluting facilities – the vast majority of them electric power plants. With the Biden administration recently announcing the final rules on reducing pollution from power plants, how big of a difference will it make to get the dirtiest polluters to clean up their act? According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the answer is: a lot.
In 2022, the 50 highest-emitting U.S. facilities released 471.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs, carbon dioxide-equivalent). Those 50 facilities were responsible for nearly 7% of the U.S.’s total GHG emissions in 2022.
Which power plants are worst for the climate?
- Ninety percent of the top 50 polluters are power plants that burn coal and/or gas. Together, those 45 power plants emitted 27% of all greenhouse gases from electricity generation nationwide.
- The number one greenhouse gas polluter in the country – the James H. Miller Jr. power plant in Quinton, Ala. – released more than 21 million metric tons of GHGs in 2022. That’s more climate pollution than the entire state of Hawaii produced in 2021.
- The nine power plants among the nation’s top 10 polluters released nearly 126 million metric tons of GHGs in 2022. That’s more from just nine facilities than 33 individual states – including Wisconsin, Colorado and Virginia – each released in 2021.
Which industrial polluters contribute most to climate change?
Power plants aren’t the only industrial facilities producing large volumes of climate pollution. The ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown, Texas, for example, produced 12.6 million metric tons of GHGs (carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2022, sixth-most in the nation, and equal to annual emissions produced by 3 million of today’s typical passenger cars.
Four other non-power plant facilities are among the nation’s top 50 emitters: two steel mills (the U.S. Steel facility in Gary, Ind., and the Cleveland-Cliffs facility in Burns Harbor, Ind.), the CF Industries Nitrogen LLC nitrogen fertilizer plant in Donaldsonville, La., and the Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas.
Top 50 climate polluters, 2022
Facility name | City | State | County | Total 2022 GHG emissions (metric tons, CO2 equivalent) | Industry |
James H. Miller Jr. | Quinton | AL | Jefferson | 21,775,440 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Labadie | Labadie | MO | Franklin | 15,860,759 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Monroe | Monroe | MI | Monroe | 14,908,126 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Martin Lake | Tatum | TX | Rusk | 13,330,423 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Oak Grove | Franklin | TX | Robertson | 12,697,798 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
ExxonMobil Baytown Site | Baytown | TX | Harris | 12,611,929 |
Petroleum refining
|
W. A. Parish | Thompsons | TX | Fort Bend | 12,436,232 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Harrison Power Station | Haywood | WV | Harrison | 11,694,164 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Laramie River | Wheatland | WY | Platte | 11,524,663 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
General J. M. Gavin | Cheshire | OH | Gallia | 11,298,607 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Jim Bridger | Point of Rocks | WY | Sweetwater | 11,115,560 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Prairie State Generating Station | Marissa | IL | Washington | 11,025,766 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Colstrip | Colstrip | MT | Rosebud | 10,740,663 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Sam Seymour | La Grange | TX | Fayette | 10,546,598 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Sherburne County | Becker | MN | Sherburne | 10,469,290 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
U.S. Steel Corp. – Gary Works | Gary | IN | Lake | 10,414,363 |
Iron and steel production
|
Cardinal | Brilliant | OH | Jefferson | 10,120,054 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Ghent | Ghent | KY | Carroll | 9,887,785 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Four Corners Steam Elec. Station | Fruitland | NM | San Juan | 9,813,100 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Jeffrey Energy Center | St. Marys | KS | Pottawatomie | 9,449,839 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC – Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex | Donaldsonville | LA | Ascension Parish | 9,155,496 |
Fertilizer manufacturing
|
Gibson | Owensville | IN | Gibson | 9,097,301 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Coal Creek | Underwood | ND | Mclean | 8,785,254 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Crystal River Power Plant | Crystal River | FL | Citrus | 8,780,184 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Trimble County | Bedford | KY | Trimble | 8,708,532 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Bowen | Cartersville | GA | Bartow | 8,475,024 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
H. L. Spurlock | Maysville | KY | Mason | 8,198,349 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Scherer | Juliette | GA | Monroe | 8,170,628 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Petersburg | Petersburg | IN | Pike | 8,032,438 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Craig | Craig | CO | Moffat | 7,958,392 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
J. H. Campbell | West Olive | MI | Ottawa | 7,781,612 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Limestone | Jewett | TX | Limestone | 7,728,951 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Pleasants Power Station | Willow Island | WV | Pleasants | 7,727,437 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Cumberland | Cumberland City | TN | Stewart | 7,694,050 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Cross | Pineville | SC | Berkeley | 7,687,274 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Hunter | Castle Dale | UT | Emery | 7,518,232 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Springerville Generating Station | Springerville | AZ | Apache | 7,497,856 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Galveston Bay Refinery | Texas City | TX | Galveston | 7,439,549 |
Petroleum refining
|
John E. Amos | Winfield | WV | Putnam | 7,410,174 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Gerald Gentleman Station | Sutherland | NE | Lincoln | 7,110,140 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Mill Creek | Louisville | KY | Jefferson | 7,066,313 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
J. K. Spruce | San Antonio | TX | Bexar | 7,040,538 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Thomas Hill Energy Center | Clifton Hill | MO | Randolph | 7,014,056 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Nebraska City Station | Nebraska City | NE | Otoe | 6,934,949 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Barry | Bucks | AL | Mobile | 6,925,641 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
West County Energy Center | Loxahatchee | FL | Palm Beach | 6,868,988 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Shawnee | West Paducah | KY | McCracken | 6,863,859 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor LLC | Burns Harbor | IN | Porter | 6,841,483 |
Iron and steel production
|
Belle River | Saint Clair Haven | MI | Saint Clair | 6,808,451 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
New Madrid Power Plant | New Madrid | MO | New Madrid | 6,803,656 |
Fossil fuel electric power generation
|
Top climate polluters by state, 2022
Facility name | City | State | County | Total 2022 GHG emissions (metric tons, CO2 equivalent) | Industry | National rank |
Central Compressor Plant | Prudhoe Bay | AK | North Slope Borough | 2,996,872 | Petroleum and natural gas systems | 178 |
James H. Miller Jr. | Quinton | AL | Jefferson | 21,775,440 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 1 |
White Bluff | Redfield | AR | Jefferson | 5,709,994 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 69 |
Springerville Generating Station | Springerville | AZ | Apache | 7,497,856 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 37 |
Los Angeles Refinery (LAR) | Carson | CA | Los Angeles | 6,263,565 | Petroleum refining | 57 |
Craig | Craig | CO | Moffat | 7,958,392 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 30 |
Lake Road Generating Company | Dayville | CT | Windham | 2,189,121 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 271 |
Delaware City Refinery | Delaware City | DE | New Castle | 3,680,307 | Petroleum refining | 137 |
Crystal River Power Plant | Crystal River | FL | Citrus | 8,780,184 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 24 |
Bowen | Cartersville | GA | Bartow | 8,475,024 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 26 |
Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) Kahe Generating Station | Kapolei | HI | Honolulu | 2,018,125 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 305 |
Walter Scott Jr. Energy Center | Council Bluffs | IA | Pottawattamie | 6,601,780 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 53 |
Rathdrum Power, LLC | Rathdrum | ID | Kootenai | 638,923 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 811 |
Prairie State Generating Station | Marissa | IL | Washington | 11,025,766 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 12 |
U.S. Steel Corp – Gary Works | Gary | IN | Lake | 10,414,363 | Iron and steel production | 16 |
Jeffrey Energy Center | St. Marys | KS | Pottawatomie | 9,449,839 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 20 |
Ghent | Ghent | KY | Carroll | 9,887,785 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 18 |
CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC – Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex | Donaldsonville | LA | Ascension Parish | 9,155,496 | Fertilizer manufacturing | 21 |
Fore River Energy Center | Weymouth | MA | Norfolk | 1,411,784 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 442 |
Brandon Shores LLC | Baltimore | MD | Anne Arundel | 2,219,520 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 267 |
Westbrook Energy Center | Westbrook | ME | Cumberland | 920,809 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 639 |
Monroe | Monroe | MI | Monroe | 14,908,126 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 3 |
Sherburne County | Becker | MN | Sherburne | 10,469,290 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 15 |
Labadie | Labadie | MO | Franklin | 15,860,759 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 2 |
Daniel Electric Generating Plant | Escatawpa | MS | Jackson | 6,018,792 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 62 |
Colstrip | Colstrip | MT | Rosebud | 10,740,663 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 13 |
Belews Creek | Belews Creek | NC | Stokes | 5,922,637 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 65 |
Coal Creek | Underwood | ND | Mclean | 8,785,254 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 23 |
Gerald Gentleman Station | Sutherland | NE | Lincoln | 7,110,140 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 40 |
Granite Ridge Energy | Londonderry | NH | Rockingham | 1,326,883 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 465 |
Linden Cogeneration Facility | Linden | NJ | Union | 2,709,778 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 209 |
Four Corners Steam Elec. Station | Fruitland | NM | San Juan | 9,813,100 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 19 |
Chuck Lenzie Generating Station | Apex | NV | Clark | 2,202,264 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 270 |
Astoria Energy LLC & Astoria Energy II LLC | Astoria | NY | Queens | 2,912,919 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 187 |
Gen. J. M. Gavin | Cheshire | OH | Gallia | 11,298,607 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 10 |
Northeastern | Oologah | OK | Rogers | 3,753,893 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 131 |
Hermiston Power, LLC | Hermiston | OR | Umatilla | 1,530,100 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 413 |
Conemaugh | New Florence | PA | Indiana | 5,446,609 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 75 |
Rhode Island State Energy Center | Johnston | RI | Providence | 1,246,513 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 495 |
Cross | Pineville | SC | Berkeley | 7,687,274 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 35 |
Big Stone | Big Stone City | SD | Grant | 2,188,991 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 272 |
Cumberland | Cumberland City | TN | Stewart | 7,694,050 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 34 |
Martin Lake | Tatum | TX | Rusk | 13,330,423 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 4 |
Hunter | Castle Dale | UT | Emery | 7,518,232 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 36 |
Greensville County Power Station | Emporia | VA | Greensville | 3,897,339 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 120 |
GlobalFoundries U.S. 2 LLC – Vermont Facility | Essex Junction | VT | Chittenden | 252,977 | Other | 1,351 |
Centralia | Centralia | WA | Lewis | 3,953,535 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 117 |
Elm Road Generating Station | Oak Creek | WI | Milwaukee | 5,324,629 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 80 |
Harrison Power Station | Haywood | WV | Harrison | 11,694,164 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 8 |
Laramie River | Wheatland | WY | Platte | 11,524,663 | Fossil fuel electric power generation | 9 |
What changed from 2021?
Some facilities saw significant decreases in total emissions and rankings from 2021. Notable examples include:
- Ascend Performance Materials (Fla.): Pollution fell from 8.6 million metric tons in 2021 to 3.5 million metric tons in 2022, dropping the facility from 29th place to 145th. Ascend invested in GHG reduction equipment, including a new control device at its chemical facility in Pensacola, Fla., in 2021.
- Rush Island power plant (Mo.): Pollution fell from 7.4 million metric tons in 2021 to 4.5 million metric tons in 2022, causing the plant to move from 44th most polluting to 98th. The facility reduced its electricity generation from 8.2 million MWh in 2021 to 4.9 million MWh in 2022.
- John E. Amos power plant (W.Va.): Pollution dropped from 11.5 million metric tons in 2021 to 7.4 million metric tons in 2022, changing the plant’s ranking from 10th to 39th. The power plant reduced its electricity generation from 12 million MWh in 2021 to 7.3 million MWh in 2022.
What will change in the years to come?
While power plants are the nation’s biggest individual contributors to global warming, things are getting better. Coal-fired electricity, which emits copious amounts of carbon pollution, is on the decline, and was surpassed in terms of its share of U.S. electricity production by renewable energy in 2022.
A number of top polluters plan to close or convert one or more generating units in the coming years. The Jim Bridger coal-fired power plant in Wyoming plans to convert two of its generating units to run on methane gas and then close in 2037. The Craig facility in Colorado, which was the 30th largest polluter in the country in 2022, will close all three of its generating units by 2029 at the latest. Six other top 50 polluters have closing dates ranging from 2024 to 2033.
Additional pollution reductions will result from the Biden administration’s 2024 adoption of new rules to limit pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. One rule requires existing coal-fired power plants to control 90 percent of their carbon pollution by 2039. The combination of strong regulation with companies’ compliance could mean less negative impact from this small number of big polluters.
With the cost of renewable energy falling and the amount of clean wind and solar power on the grid surging, there is simply no excuse for allowing America’s biggest polluters to continue to harm our climate and our health.
Frontier Group intern Hailey Seo provided research and writing assistance.
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Topics
Authors
Elizabeth Ridlington
Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst, Frontier Group
Elizabeth Ridlington is associate director and senior policy analyst with Frontier Group. She focuses primarily on global warming, toxics, health care and clean vehicles, and has written dozens of reports on these and other subjects. Elizabeth graduated with honors from Harvard with a degree in government. She joined Frontier Group in 2002. She lives in Northern California with her son.
Lisa Frank
Executive Director, Environment America; Vice President and D.C. Director, The Public Interest Network
Lisa leads Environment America’s work for a greener, healthier world. She also directs The Public Interest Network’s Washington, D.C., office and operations. A pragmatic idealist, Lisa has helped win billions of dollars in investments in clean energy and transportation and developed strategic campaigns to protect America’s oceans, forests and public lands. Lisa is an Oregonian transplant to the Capital region, where she loves hiking, running, biking, and cooking for friends and family.
Abe Scarr
State Director, Illinois PIRG Education Fund
Abe Scarr is the director of Illinois PIRG and is the PIRG Energy and Utilities Program Director. He is a lead advocate in the Illinois Capitol and in the media for stronger consumer protections, utility accountability, and good government. In 2017, Abe led a coalition to pass legislation to implement automatic voter registration in Illinois, winning unanimous support in the Illinois General Assembly for the bill. He has co-authored multiple in-depth reports on Illinois utility policy and leads coalition campaigns to reform the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program. As PIRG's Energy and Utilities Program Director, Abe supports PIRG energy and utility campaigns across the country and leads the national Gas Stoves coalition. He also serves as a board member for the Consumer Federation of America. Abe lives in Chicago, where he enjoys biking, cooking and tending his garden.