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Carbon Dioxide Emissions by State

Discover how much carbon dioxide your state produces

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Last updated August 11, 2023

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the state’s carbon footprint, according to Choose Energy’s August analysis of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA’s most recent report shows that Texas produced 13.5% of the nation’s carbon dioxide in 2021.

The Lone Star State’s 623 million metric tons of carbon dioxide produced in 2021 was more than double the carbon emitted in California, the second-largest producer. The following report breaks down which states produced the most and least carbon dioxide in 2021, all shown in million metric tons.

States emitting the most carbon dioxide

State 2021
Texas 663.5
California 324
Florida 226.3
Pennsylvania 213.5
Ohio 194
Louisiana 188.6
Illinois 184.2
Indiana 166.4
New York 156
Michigan 147.8

States emitting the least carbon dioxide

State 2021
Vermont 5.6
Rhode Island 10.6
Delaware 13
New Hampshire 13.3
Maine 14.4
South Dakota 15.2
Hawaii 17.3
Idaho 20.5
Montana 28.5
Connecticut 36.6

Following is a breakdown of the 2021 carbon emissions by state, as well as the percentage increase or decrease from the year 2000 and the percentage increase or decrease from 2020:

Carbon dioxide emissions by state

State 2021 % change since 2000 % change since 2020
Alabama 108.4 -23.8 10.1
Alaska 38.9 -10.8 8
Arizona 83 -4.2 3.6
Arkansas 62 -2.1 13.3
California 324 -15.2 6.7
Colorado 85.4 -0.2 6.8
Connecticut 36.6 -14.5 8.3
Delaware 13 -22.3 3.9
Florida 226.3 -5.3 9
Georgia 124.1 -26.8 6.5
Hawaii 17.3 -7.4 16.2
Idaho 20.5 30.8 6
Illinois 184.2 -21.6 8.3
Indiana 166.4 -30.6 7.7
Iowa 73.1 -7.9 11.4
Kansas 59.8 -21.2 3.4
Kentucky 111.3 -24.3 10
Louisiana 188.6 -14.5 2.9
Maine 14.4 -35.2 6.7
Maryland 52.6 -33 9.3
Massachusetts 56.1 -31.8 7.3
Michigan 147.8 -24 8
Minnesota 83.2 -15.3 6.1
Mississippi 63.1 2.8 -0.2
Missouri 117 -7.7 7.6
Montana 28.5 -10.2 8.5
Nebraska 47.2 13.3 1.5
Nevada 39.4 -13.6 8.9
New Hampshire 13.3 -23.9 6.7
New Jersey 89.1 -28.5 6.3
New Mexico 45.9 -21.2 1.5
New York 156 -26.5 8.8
North Carolina 115.6 -22.5 8.4
North Dakota 56.5 10.2 4.2
Ohio 194 -27.3 4.5
Oklahoma 87.8 -12.3 4.1
Oregon 38.5 -7.2 2.7
Pennsylvania 213.5 -23.3 10.5
Rhode Island 10.6 -9.6 8.3
South Carolina 69.3 -15.5 9.1
South Dakota 15.2 6.5 1.4
Tennessee 92.7 -28 11.2
Texas 663.5 -1.4 6.2
Utah 62.1 -5.1 8.1
Vermont 5.6 -17.9 2.8
Virginia 98 -20.6 -0.2
Washington 73.8 -12.5 7.9
West Virginia 88.4 -23.6 14.9
Wisconsin 92.5 -14.2 6.2
Wyoming 54.6 -14 -1.9
U.S. 4,911.2 -16.3 6.9

Another way of measuring carbon emissions

Because some states have a larger population, they produce greater amounts of carbon dioxide. We control for this by measuring the carbon dioxide per capita — metric tons of emissions per person in each state.

States with the lowest per capita carbon emissions

State Per capita emissions in 2021
New York 7.9
Massachusetts 8
California 8.3
Maryland 8.5
Vermont 8.6
Oregon 9.1
Washington 9.5
New Hampshire 9.6
New Jersey 9.6
Rhode Island 9.7

States with the highest per capita carbon emissions

State Per capita emissions in 2021
Wyoming 94.3
North Dakota 72.7
Alaska 53
West Virginia 49.5
Louisiana 40.8
Montana 25.8
Kentucky 24.7
Indiana 24.4
Nebraska 24
Iowa 22.9

Which states are improving their carbon footprint?

Nationally, carbon dioxide emissions have fallen 16.3% since 2000, but have risen 6.9% since 2020.

Maine has experienced the most significant decrease in emissions since 2000, cutting carbon levels by 35.2%.

States with the greatest decrease in carbon since 2000

State % change since 2000
Maine -35.2
Maryland -33
Massachusetts -31.8
Indiana -30.6
New Jersey -28.5
Tennessee -28
Ohio -27.3
Georgia -26.8
New York -26.5
Kentucky -24.3

Unfortunately, levels haven’t gone down in every state. Following are states where carbon dioxide emissions have increased since 2000:

States with the greatest increase in carbon since 2000

State % change since 2000
Idaho 30.8
Nebraska 13.3
North Dakota 10.2
South Dakota 6.5
Mississippi 2.8

Only three states have experienced a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions since 2020: Wyoming (-1.9%), Virginia (-0.2%), and Mississippi (-0.2%).

Every other state experienced an increase in emission levels from 2020 to 2021. Hawaii increased carbon emissions the most, with a 16.2% rise in emission levels.

States with the greatest increase in carbon since 2020

State % change since 2020
Hawaii 16.2
West Virginia 14.9
Arkansas 13.3
Iowa 11.4
Tennessee 11.2
Pennsylvania 10.5
Alabama 10.1
Kentucky 10
Maryland 9.3
South Carolina 9.1

Where does the carbon dioxide originate?

Nationally, transportation is responsible for the largest chunk of carbon dioxide emissions — 37.2%. But the generation of electricity is the second-largest offender, with 31.4%.

Following is a percentage breakdown by sector for each state’s carbon dioxide emissions:

State carbon dioxide emissions by sector

State Commercial Electric Power Residential Industrial Transportation
Alabama 2.2 43.5 1.9 18.1 34.3
Alaska 5.9 7.2 4.5 47.3 35.1
Arizona 3.8 41.3 3 5.6 46.3
Arkansas 5.8 46 3.3 13.4 31.5
California 6 10.9 8.1 19.7 55.3
Colorado 5.2 35.8 9.7 15.4 33.8
Connecticut 11.7 25.2 19.6 4.4 39
Delaware 8.2 13.6 7.5 29.4 41.3
Florida 3 40.3 0.6 5.4 50.6
Georgia 3.7 32.9 5.9 10.2 47.2
Hawaii 3.1 33.3 0.4 5.6 57.6
Idaho 7.2 9.8 9.9 16.5 56.7
Illinois 7.7 28.5 12.5 18.8 32.6
Indiana 3.7 41.4 4.9 26.1 23.9
Iowa 5.2 33 6.6 28.1 27.1
Kansas 4.5 37.2 6.3 22.6 29.3
Kentucky 2.4 51.1 2.8 13.4 30.3
Louisiana 1.3 16.1 1.1 57.7 23.8
Maine 12.2 8.8 18.5 11.2 49.3
Maryland 9.9 21.4 10.8 5.4 52.5
Massachusetts 13.2 10.9 22.3 5.9 47.6
Michigan 7.3 35.8 12.8 11.9 32.2
Minnesota 8.2 25.5 11.2 20.1 35
Mississippi 2.5 40 2.4 18 37.2
Missouri 4 51.5 5.4 7.3 31.8
Montana 5.7 43.7 6 15.9 28.7
Nebraska 4.5 41.9 5.2 19.3 29.1
Nevada 5.8 34.7 6.6 7.8 45.1
New Hampshire 10.6 15.8 18.5 5.5 49.6
New Jersey 11.1 15 16.6 9.4 47.9
New Mexico 4 37.3 4.9 18.3 35.5
New York 13.9 16 21.6 5.3 43.1
North Carolina 4.5 34.7 4.7 8.7 47.4
North Dakota 2.2 48.5 1.9 31.7 15.7
Ohio 6.2 35.3 8.9 19.3 30.3
Oklahoma 3.6 30.5 4.5 26.3 35.1
Oregon 6.4 21.4 7.6 12.1 52.5
Pennsylvania 5.4 36.3 9 23.1 26.2
Rhode Island 8.8 31.7 20 5.6 33.9
South Carolina 3.3 36.1 3.1 10.5 47
South Dakota 5.4 15.8 6.7 26.2 45.9
Tennessee 4.6 25.9 4.7 15.4 49.3
Texas 2.1 27.2 1.8 36.4 32.4
Utah 4.8 48.2 6.6 11 29.3
Vermont 16.6 0.1 24.3 7.4 51.6
Virginia 6.1 24.9 6.4 11.8 50.8
Washington 6.4 13.3 8.2 15.8 56.3
West Virginia 1.9 66.7 1.9 15 14.6
Wisconsin 7.2 37.9 10.3 12.9 31.7
Wyoming 1.7 62.4 1.7 20.4 13.7
U.S. 5 31.4 6.6 20 37

Where does your state rank among the largest producers?

While generating electricity produces the highest percentage of carbon dioxide emissions in most states, West Virginia experiences that to the extreme because it relies heavily on coal. Meanwhile, Louisiana generates more than half of its CO2 from industrial uses. See where your state ranks among the largest producers in each sector:

Commercial sector

State Commercial
Vermont 16.6%
New York 13.9%
Massachusetts 13.2%
Maine 12.2%
Connecticut 11.7%
New Jersey 11.1%
New Hampshire 10.6%
Maryland 9.9%
Rhode Island 8.8%
Minnesota 8.2%

Electricity generation sector

State Electric Power
West Virginia 66.7%
Wyoming 62.4%
Missouri 51.5%
Kentucky 51.1%
North Dakota 48.5%
Utah 48.2%
Arkansas 46%
Montana 43.7%
Alabama 43.5%
Nebraska 41.9%

Residential sector

State Residential
Vermont 24.3%
Massachusetts 22.3%
New York 21.6%
Rhode Island 20%
Connecticut 19.6%
Maine 18.5%
New Hampshire 18.5%
New Jersey 16.6%
Michigan 12.8%
Illinois 12.5%

Industrial sector

State Industrial
Louisiana 57.7%
Alaska 47.3%
Texas 36.4%
North Dakota 31.7%
Delaware 29.4%
Iowa 28.1%
Oklahoma 26.3%
South Dakota 26.2%
Indiana 26.1%
Pennsylvania 23.1%

Transportation sector

State Transportation
Hawaii 57.6%
Idaho 56.7%
Washington 56.3%
California 55.3%
Oregon 52.5%
Maryland 52.5%
Vermont 51.6%
Virginia 50.8%
Florida 50.6%
New Hampshire 49.6%

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