Iowa greenhouse gas emissions declined 4 percent in 2011; power plants emit 64 percent of total

Emissions of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – in Iowa fell nearly 4 percent in 2011, with most of the decline coming from lower amounts emitted by electric generating stations burning coal and natural gas.

The 2011 emission totals were released Tuesday (2/5) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and online charts showing emission data from individual companies and locations in the state can be viewed by clicking on this link. Click on "Read More" below to view a listing of the top 50 emitters of greenhouse gases in Iowa and their total emissions in 2011.

Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around Earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm. Over the past century, research has shown that human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the buildup of those gases is changing Earth's climate, resulting in dangerous effects to human health and world ecosystems.

Power plant are responsible for 67 percent of greenhouse gas emissions nationally, and in Iowa, electric generating stations emitted 64 percent of the total 59.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gas in the state in 2011. That compares with 61.6 million tons in 2010, according to the EPA statistics.

Here are the top 50 sources of direct greenhouse gas emissions in Iowa for 2011:

• MidAmerican Energy Walter Scott Jr. Energy Center, Council Bluffs, 11,523,892 tons
• MidAmerican Energy George Neal North Generating Station, Sergeant Bluff, 5,771,008 tons
• MidAmerican Energy Ottumwa Generating Station, Centerville, 4,168,147 tons
• MidAmerican Energy Louisa Generating Station, Muscatine, 4,116,946 tons
• MidAmerican Energy George Neal South Generating Station, Salix, 4,098,710 tons
• ADM Corn Processing, Cedar Rapids, 2,884,315 tons
• ADM Corn Processing, Clinton, 2,060,397 tons
• Alliant Energy Lansing Generating Station, 1,538,561 tons
• Muscatine Water and Power Generating Station, Muscatine, 1,406,893 tons
• CF Industries Port Neal Fertilizer Plant, Sergeant Bluff, 1,403,806 tons
• Alliant Energy Burlington Generating Station, Burlington, 1,360,555 tons
• Alliant Energy Prairie Creek Generating Station, Cedar Rapids, 1,162,632 tons
• Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine, 1,016,591 tons
• Alliant Energy Milton L. Kapp Generating Station, Clinton, 1,005,176 tons
• MidAmerican Energy Riverside Generating Station, Bettendorf, 909,528 tons
• Lafarge North America Cement Plant, Buffalo, 775,173 tons
• Cargill Corn Milling, Eddyville, 736,212 tons
• Koch Nitrogen Corp., Fort Dodge, 680,317 tons
• Alliant Energy Sutherland Generating Station, Marshalltown, 580,760 tons
• Equistar Chemicals, Clinton, 511,917 tons
• Roquette American Corn Processing, Keokuk, 486,401 tons
• City of Ames Generating Station, 403,022 tons
• SSAB Iowa Inc. Steel Manufacturing, Muscatine, 363,526 tons
• Lehigh Cement Co., Mason City, 347,283 tons
• Iowa State University Heating Plant, Ames, 330,058 tons
• Linwood Mining and Minerals Lime Plant, Davenport, 292,542 tons
• University of Iowa Power Plant, Iowa City, 219,587 tons
• Cargill Meat Solutions, Ottumwa, 215,659 tons
• Homeland Energy Solutions LLC Ethanol Plant, Lawler, 204,517 tons
• Alliant Energy Emery Station, Clear Lake, 199,970 tons
• Valero Hartley Ethanol Plant, Hartley, 193,995
• Alcoa Davenport Works, Bettendorf, 192,710 tons
• Valero Fort Dodge Ethanol Plant, Fort Dodge, 192,385 tons
• Valero Renewable Fuels Ethanol Plant, Charles City, 185,365 tons
• Plantinum Ethanol Plant, Arthur, 184,440 tons
• Central Iowa Power Cooperative Fair Station, Montpelier, 183,260 tons
• Green Plains Lakota Ethanol Plant, Lakota, 182,500 tons
• Alliant Energy Dubuque Generating Station, Dubuque, 175,809 tons
• Golden Grain Energy Ethanol Plant, Mason City, 175,140 tons
• Valero Ethanol Plant, Albert City, 175,090 tons
• Corn LP Ethanol Plant, Goldfield, 174,001 tons
• Lincolnway Energy Ethanol Plant, Nevada, 173,745 tons
• Louis Dreyfus Commodies Ethanol Plant, Grant Junction, 167,475 tons
• Absolute Energy Ethanol Plant, Mona, 166,999 tons
• Big River United Energy Ethanol Plant, Dyersville, 165,003 tons
• Ag Processing, Eagle Grove, 159,627 tons
• Little Sioux Corn Processors, Marcus, 158,414 tons
• Big River Resources Ethanol Plant, West Burlington, 156,181 tons
• Flint Hills Resources Ethanol Plant, Shell Rock, 155,520 tons
• Flint Hills Resources Ethanol Plant, Fairbank, 152,103 tons