A new report released this week finds that increased use of natural gas for power generation has played a huge role in dramatically reducing U.S. carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury emissions. If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because EID has reported on numerous reputable reports over the years that have reached similar conclusion.

But what makes “Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States” stand out is the fact that it is spearheaded by Ceres and co-sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) — both well-known anti-fracking groups.

Nonetheless, the report is again refreshingly forthcoming in crediting natural gas for 24 percent carbon reductions from the nation’s top 100 electricity producers from 2005 levels in 2016, as well as 91 and 82 percent reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, respectively, since 2005, and 86 percent reductions in mercury emissions since 2000. From the report:

“Some of the factors driving this trend include energy efficiency improvements and the displacement of coal by natural gas and renewable energy resources.”

Read the full post on EIDClimate.org.