U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading driver of global climate change, are projected to decline by 11% in 2020 as business and travel are restricted by stay-at-home orders meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to the latest short-term energy outlook by the Energy Information Administration.
The agency estimates that U.S. CO2 emissions will increase again in 2021 by 5% as the economy recovers.
The agency forecasts that U.S. motor gasoline consumption will drop 11% in 2020 when compared to last year.
People are driving less, and that lack of demand has been reflected at the price of gas at the pump in California, which declined for months until last week, when it ticked slightly back up.
The agency also expects U.S. production of natural gas to drop this year and next, down from a record high in 2019.