 US 2022 power plant emissions decreased on coal to gas transition. The Environmental Protection Agency reported Friday that US power plant emissions of pollutants that hurt human health and warm the globe decreased last year as the sector switched from coal to natural gas. Despite a 2% increase in energy demand in the lower 48 US states last year, the savings were primarily attributable to the shift off coal, a polluting fossil fuel. Nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions reduced 4% and 10%, respectively, according to the EPA. Mercury emissions, a neurotoxic that can build in the environment and render some fish dangerous to consume frequently, declined 3%. Power plant communities deserve the same protection from environmental and health hazards as everyone else, stated EPA Administrator Michael Regan. We're not done, but the data show we're on the right track.