Most Polluting Power Plants in America

The U.S. power sector is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, behind transportation. The table below ranks the 50 power plants that emit the most CO₂ annually — measured in metric tons and reported by the EPA eGRID program.

Coal plants dominate this list because coal produces roughly twice the CO₂ per megawatt-hour as natural gas. The national grid average is approximately 800 lb CO₂/MWh. Click any plant for its full emission profile including SO₂, NOₓ, and emission rate per MWh.