Politics & Government

Johnston Power Plant 'Dirtiest' in RI

The Entergy power plan in Johnston was first in CO2 emissions.

Written by Sandy McGee. With reporting by Joe Hutnak.

A new report released last week named Johnston's power plant the "dirtiest" in Rhode Island. 

The report, “America’s Dirtiest Power Plants," released by Environment America, listed the Entergy Rhode Island State Energy Center Plant in Johnston as the top carbon emitter in the Ocean State, according to ecoRInews

According to the report, the Johnston plant emits about 1.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in a year, tops in Rhode Island. The local plant, when added to the Manchester Street power plant's 1.01 million tons of CO2, combine for 2.18 million of Rhode Island's 3.5-million-ton total for its top five emitters.

Rhode Island's total, though, pales when compared to other states — Massachusetts' top five polluters emit three times as much carbon dioxide as the five-biggest emitters in the Ocean State; in Oklahoma, the number is 10 times greater, and in Pennsylvania coal country, the number is 55 million cubic tons, nearly 20 times as much as Rhode Island.

Most of the difference in the use of fuel to make electricity; emissions are typically higher in coal-using states over natural gas-fired utilities. 


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