Discover how much carbon dioxide your state produces
Last updated April 6, 2023
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the state’s carbon footprint, according to Choose Energy’s April analysis of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Based on the EIA’s most recent report, Texas produced 13.6% of the nation’s carbon dioxide in 2020.
The Lone Star State’s 624 million metric tons of carbon dioxide produced in 2020 was more than double the amount emitted in California, the second-largest producer.
| State | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Texas | 624.0 |
| California | 303.4 |
| Florida | 207.6 |
| Pennsylvania | 193.2 |
| Ohio | 185.6 |
| Louisiana | 183.3 |
| Illinois | 169.9 |
| Indiana | 154.3 |
| New York | 143.4 |
| Michigan | 136.8 |
| State | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Vermont | 5.4 |
| Rhode Island | 9.8 |
| New Hampshire | 12.4 |
| Delaware | 12.5 |
| Maine | 13.5 |
| Hawaii | 14.9 |
| South Dakota | 14.9 |
| Idaho | 19.4 |
| Montana | 26.2 |
| Connecticut | 33.8 |
Following is a breakdown of the 2020 carbon emissions by state, as well as the percentage increase or decrease from the year 2000 and the percentage increase or decrease from 2019:
| State | 2020 | % change since 2000 | % change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 98.3 | -30.9 | -7.5 |
| Alaska | 36.0 | -17.5 | 5.0 |
| Arizona | 80.1 | -7.5 | -13.4 |
| Arkansas | 54.7 | -13.6 | -15.9 |
| California | 303.4 | -20.6 | -15.3 |
| Colorado | 79.9 | -6.6 | -12.9 |
| Connecticut | 33.8 | -21.0 | -7.8 |
| Delaware | 12.5 | -25.2 | -8.2 |
| Florida | 207.6 | -13.1 | -11.1 |
| Georgia | 116.6 | -31.3 | -14.6 |
| Hawaii | 14.9 | -20.3 | -27.3 |
| Idaho | 19.4 | 23.4 | -3.6 |
| Illinois | 169.9 | -27.7 | -16.5 |
| Indiana | 154.3 | -35.6 | -12.4 |
| Iowa | 65.7 | -17.3 | -15.1 |
| Kansas | 57.8 | -23.8 | -4.4 |
| Kentucky | 101.9 | -30.7 | -11.7 |
| Louisiana | 183.3 | -16.9 | -5.9 |
| Maine | 13.5 | -39.3 | -6.4 |
| Maryland | 48.1 | -38.7 | -15.4 |
| Massachusetts | 52.3 | -36.5 | -17.4 |
| Michigan | 136.8 | -29.7 | -14.1 |
| Minnesota | 78.4 | -20.1 | -14.9 |
| Mississippi | 63.1 | 2.9 | 1.0 |
| Missouri | 108.7 | -14.2 | -7.1 |
| Montana | 26.2 | -17.5 | -18.8 |
| Nebraska | 46.5 | 11.6 | -7.8 |
| Nevada | 36.2 | -20.7 | -13.3 |
| New Hampshire | 12.4 | -28.7 | -10.7 |
| New Jersey | 83.8 | -32.7 | -16.9 |
| New Mexico | 45.2 | -22.4 | -7.6 |
| New York | 143.4 | -32.4 | -15.1 |
| North Carolina | 106.5 | -28.6 | -13.1 |
| North Dakota | 54.3 | 5.7 | -5.1 |
| Ohio | 185.6 | -30.4 | -5.6 |
| Oklahoma | 83.7 | -16.4 | -7.8 |
| Oregon | 37.5 | -9.8 | -10.4 |
| Pennsylvania | 193.2 | -30.6 | -11.7 |
| Rhode Island | 9.8 | -16.5 | -5.2 |
| South Carolina | 63.5 | -22.6 | -8.6 |
| South Dakota | 14.9 | 5.0 | -6.5 |
| Tennessee | 83.3 | -35.3 | -9.7 |
| Texas | 624.0 | -7.3 | -8.7 |
| Utah | 57.4 | -12.3 | -6.7 |
| Vermont | 5.4 | -20.1 | -10.0 |
| Virginia | 98.2 | -20.4 | -8.1 |
| Washington | 68.4 | -18.9 | -18.8 |
| West Virginia | 76.9 | -33.5 | -10.0 |
| Wisconsin | 87.0 | -19.3 | -8.2 |
| Wyoming | 55.6 | -12.4 | -5.9 |
| U.S. | 4,592.4 | -21.7 | -11.0 |
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.
| State | Per capita emissions in 2020 |
|---|---|
| New York | 7.1 |
| Massachusetts | 7.4 |
| California | 7.7 |
| Maryland | 7.8 |
| Vermont | 8.4 |
| Oregon | 8.8 |
| Washington | 8.9 |
| Rhode Island | 9.0 |
| New Jersey | 9.0 |
| New Hampshire | 9.0 |
| State | Per capita emissions in 2020 |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | 96.4 |
| North Dakota | 69.6 |
| Alaska | 49.1 |
| West Virginia | 43.0 |
| Louisiana | 39.4 |
| Montana | 24.1 |
| Nebraska | 23.7 |
| Indiana | 22.7 |
| Kentucky | 22.6 |
| Texas | 21.4 |
Nationally, carbon dioxide emissions have fallen 21.7% since 2000 and 11% since 2019.
Maine has experienced the most significant decrease in emissions since 2000, cutting carbon levels by 39.3%.
| State | % change since 2000 |
|---|---|
| Maine | -39.3 |
| Maryland | -38.7 |
| Massachusetts | -36.5 |
| Indiana | -35.6 |
| Tennessee | -35.3 |
| West Virginia | -33.5 |
| New Jersey | -32.7 |
| New York | -32.4 |
| Georgia | -31.3 |
| Alabama | -30.9 |
Unfortunately, levels haven’t gone down in every state. Following are states where carbon dioxide emissions have increased since 2000:
| State | % change since 2000 |
|---|---|
| Idaho | 23.4 |
| Nebraska | 11.6 |
| North Dakota | 5.7 |
| South Dakota | 5.0 |
| Mississippi | 2.9 |
Only two states have experienced an increase in carbon dioxide emissions since 2019: Alaska (5%) and Mississippi (1%).
Every other state cut emission levels from 2019 to 2020. Hawaii decreased carbon emissions the most, with a 27% decrease.
| State | % change from 2019 |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | -27.3 |
| Montana | -18.8 |
| Washington | -18.8 |
| Massachusetts | -17.4 |
| New Jersey | -16.9 |
| Illinois | -16.5 |
| Arkansas | -15.9 |
| Maryland | -15.4 |
| California | -15.3 |
| New York | -15.1 |
Nationally, transportation is responsible for the largest chunk of carbon dioxide emissions — 35.9%. 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 | Commercial | Electric Power | Residential | Industrial | Transportation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2.1 | 43.4 | 1.9 | 18.3 | 34.2 |
| Alaska | 5.9 | 7.6 | 4.6 | 48.9 | 33.0 |
| Arizona | 3.6 | 44.4 | 3.2 | 5.9 | 43.0 |
| Arkansas | 6.1 | 41.2 | 3.5 | 15.3 | 34.0 |
| California | 6.1 | 11.1 | 8.8 | 21.2 | 52.9 |
| Colorado | 5.4 | 35.8 | 10.6 | 16.2 | 32.0 |
| Connecticut | 11.3 | 25.6 | 19.5 | 4.9 | 38.6 |
| Delaware | 8.1 | 14.5 | 7.0 | 31.1 | 39.4 |
| Florida | 3.2 | 44.4 | 0.7 | 5.4 | 46.4 |
| Georgia | 3.8 | 32.0 | 6.0 | 10.1 | 48.1 |
| Hawaii | 3.2 | 39.3 | 0.4 | 5.9 | 51.1 |
| Idaho | 8.1 | 8.5 | 10.2 | 17.5 | 55.7 |
| Illinois | 8.1 | 25.1 | 13.8 | 20.9 | 32.1 |
| Indiana | 3.6 | 40.9 | 5.4 | 26.9 | 23.3 |
| Iowa | 6.1 | 24.7 | 7.9 | 32.5 | 28.7 |
| Kansas | 4.6 | 34.3 | 6.8 | 23.9 | 30.3 |
| Kentucky | 2.6 | 49.5 | 2.9 | 13.8 | 31.2 |
| Louisiana | 1.2 | 15.0 | 1.0 | 61.4 | 21.3 |
| Maine | 12.0 | 5.2 | 21.2 | 12.4 | 49.2 |
| Maryland | 10.8 | 19.2 | 11.5 | 5.5 | 53.1 |
| Massachusetts | 13.9 | 11.0 | 23.3 | 6.0 | 45.8 |
| Michigan | 7.8 | 34.3 | 14.3 | 11.7 | 31.9 |
| Minnesota | 8.5 | 24.5 | 11.8 | 20.6 | 34.6 |
| Mississippi | 2.5 | 41.6 | 2.3 | 18.1 | 35.5 |
| Missouri | 4.0 | 50.4 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 32.1 |
| Montana | 6.4 | 38.5 | 6.8 | 17.8 | 30.5 |
| Nebraska | 4.7 | 42.2 | 5.4 | 19.3 | 28.4 |
| Nevada | 5.5 | 36.6 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 42.8 |
| New Hampshire | 10.7 | 12.8 | 22.3 | 6.0 | 48.1 |
| New Jersey | 10.7 | 16.2 | 16.7 | 9.7 | 46.6 |
| New Mexico | 3.8 | 41.1 | 5.1 | 17.0 | 33.0 |
| New York | 14.2 | 16.4 | 22.0 | 5.6 | 41.9 |
| North Carolina | 4.6 | 34.8 | 4.5 | 9.0 | 47.0 |
| North Dakota | 2.4 | 50.6 | 1.9 | 29.5 | 15.6 |
| Ohio | 6.3 | 36.1 | 9.2 | 18.8 | 29.7 |
| Oklahoma | 3.7 | 29.5 | 4.6 | 27.7 | 34.4 |
| Oregon | 6.3 | 23.7 | 7.5 | 11.6 | 50.8 |
| Pennsylvania | 5.6 | 36.3 | 9.2 | 21.8 | 27.2 |
| Rhode Island | 8.2 | 32.4 | 19.2 | 6.2 | 34.0 |
| South Carolina | 3.4 | 36.0 | 3.0 | 11.2 | 46.4 |
| South Dakota | 5.9 | 15.3 | 7.1 | 27.6 | 44.3 |
| Tennessee | 4.7 | 23.7 | 4.8 | 16.5 | 50.3 |
| Texas | 2.1 | 28.3 | 1.9 | 36.7 | 30.9 |
| Utah | 5.1 | 46.1 | 7.4 | 11.6 | 29.9 |
| Vermont | 16.3 | 0.1 | 26.2 | 8.8 | 48.7 |
| Virginia | 5.8 | 29.3 | 5.9 | 11.0 | 48.0 |
| Washington | 6.8 | 16.1 | 8.5 | 18.0 | 50.6 |
| West Virginia | 2.1 | 65.5 | 2.2 | 15.6 | 14.6 |
| Wisconsin | 7.0 | 36.2 | 11.2 | 14.0 | 31.5 |
| Wyoming | 1.7 | 63.4 | 1.7 | 20.2 | 13.1 |
| U.S. | 5.1 | 31.4 | 7.0 | 20.6 | 35.9 |
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:
| State | Commercial |
|---|---|
| Vermont | 16.3% |
| New York | 14.2% |
| Massachusetts | 13.9% |
| Maine | 12.0% |
| Connecticut | 11.3% |
| Maryland | 10.8% |
| New Hampshire | 10.7% |
| New Jersey | 10.7% |
| Minnesota | 8.5% |
| Rhode Island | 8.2% |
| State | Electric Power |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 65.5% |
| Wyoming | 63.4% |
| North Dakota | 50.6% |
| Missouri | 50.4% |
| Kentucky | 49.5% |
| Utah | 46.1% |
| Florida | 44.4% |
| Arizona | 44.4% |
| Alabama | 43.4% |
| Nebraska | 42.2% |
| State | Residential |
|---|---|
| Vermont | 26.2% |
| Massachusetts | 23.3% |
| New Hampshire | 22.3% |
| New York | 22.0% |
| Maine | 21.2% |
| Connecticut | 19.5% |
| Rhode Island | 19.2% |
| New Jersey | 16.7% |
| Michigan | 14.3% |
| Illinois | 13.8% |
| State | Industrial |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 61.4% |
| Alaska | 48.9% |
| Texas | 36.7% |
| Iowa | 32.5% |
| Delaware | 31.1% |
| North Dakota | 29.5% |
| Oklahoma | 27.7% |
| South Dakota | 27.6% |
| Indiana | 26.9% |
| Kansas | 23.9% |
| State | Transportation |
|---|---|
| Idaho | 55.7% |
| Maryland | 53.1% |
| California | 52.9% |
| Hawaii | 51.1% |
| Oregon | 50.8% |
| Washington | 50.6% |
| Tennessee | 50.3% |
| Maine | 49.2% |
| Vermont | 48.7% |
| New Hampshire | 48.1% |
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