I. The Electric Power Industry and the Greenhouse Gas Issue Twenty-four percent of the Earth’s energy-related carbon emissions are produced in the United States. Fortypercent of the U.S. energy-related greenhouse gases are attributable to the electric power industry. Eighty-twopercent of the U.S. energy-related carbon emissions stem from the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum,natural and other gases). Ninety-two percent of the coal burned in the United States is used to power electricgenerators. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that U.S. carbon dioxide emissions attributable toconsumption and flaring of fossil fuels rose from 1,340 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTC)in 1990 (Table 1) to 1,517 million metric tons of carbon (MMTC) in 1999. EIA reported that emissions inyear 2000 rose to 1,562 MMTC, an annual growth rate of 3.0 percent, the largest increase since 1996 (3.6percent).