The ongoing growth of fracking in the U.S., plus the related buildout of pipelines, refineries and petrochemical plants, will release the equivalent of 50 new coal-fired power plants over the next five years. An estimated 157 new or expanded plants are slated to come online in that timeframe, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). Those plants are expected to release 227 million tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, a 30 percent increase from the industry’s 2018 emissions total. “The US is already struggling to meet climate commitments and transition to a low-carbon future,” said Courtney Bernhardt, Research Director at the Environmental Integrity Project. “This analysis shows that we’re heading in the wrong direction and really need to slow emissions growth from the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.” Roughly 36 million tons of the 227-million-ton total will come from expanded drilling. But that […]