The following graph shows the annual quantities of toxic chemical released by electric utilities.

From 2005 to 2015:

• Releases from the electric utilities sector decreased by 60%. This decrease was driven by a 81% decrease in on-site air releases, while on-site land disposal and off-site disposal or other releases remained relatively constant.

From 2014 to 2015:

• Releases by electric utilities decreased by 18% (97 million pounds). This decrease was driven by decreases in on-site air releases and land disposal.

Source Reduction in the Electric Utilities Sector:

Only 20 electric utility facilities initiated source reduction activities in 2015 to reduce their toxic chemical use and waste generation. Note that adding a scrubber is considered a control technology for waste that is generated, and is not a source reduction activity that prevents waste from being generated. The most commonly reported category of source reduction activities for this sector was process modifications, which include activities such as modifying equipment, layout, or piping. TRI’s Pollution Prevention Search Tool can help you learn more about pollution prevention opportunities in this sector.

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This page was published in January 2017 and uses the 2015 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2016.

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