US Greenhouse Emissions Fall 2% In 2016, Led By Power Industry: EPA

"WASHINGTON - Greenhouse gas emissions from America’s largest industrial facilities fell 2 percent in 2016 to 2.99 billion tonnes, led by a large cut from the power sector, according to data published on Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The decline, which came in the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency, brings the total drop in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial facilities over the past five years to nearly 10 percent.

The decline in emissions in 2016 was led by a 4.6 percent cut from U.S. power plants, to 1.88 billion tonnes from 1.97 billion tonnes in 2015, according to the data. That marks an 18 percent decline from five years ago, when the EPA started gathering data."

Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters October 5, 2017.