On September 2, 2023, a specially equipped aircraft flew to Colstrip, Montana. On this fine late summer morning, the plane flew over the Colstrip coal-fired power plant, one of the largest and dirtiest in the U.S. The plant was generating about 1,500 megawatts of electricity that day.* The airplane flew back and forth in tidy parallel paths, making 12 passes over the power plant and its surroundings.
The airplane is called the Global Airborne Observatory, and it measures climate-warming pollution in pinpoint detail. Data from the flyover revealed a billowing plume of carbon dioxide coming from Colstrip’s twin smokestacks, with concentrations reaching beyond 100,000 parts per million. These measurements showed the power plant was emitting about 1.7 million pounds of CO2 an hour, which is what you’d get from burning 4.4 railcars full of coal.
A plume of carbon dioxide coming from the Colstrip power plant in Montana, measured by the Global Airborne Observatory and viewed in the Carbon Mapper data portal.
The result of the flyover is a visual representation of climate-warming pollution that conveys something that numbers cannot. Most readers already know that a coal-burning power plant is a major source of CO2 emissions. But it strikes a different chord to see a plume of pollution emerging from a power plant and spreading silently over the landscape.
As the Trump administration moves to cancel greenhouse gas reporting by major polluters, a constellation of satellites and aircraft is already taking up the slack. Scores of instruments are peering down through Earth’s atmosphere, finding pollution all across the globe, every day. These programs are run by private companies, nonprofits, and governments, and most of them display their data for free so anyone can see it.
_Read part one of this series: Climate polluters may be allowed to stop reporting their emissions. That doesn’t mean they can hide them. _
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#### **Carbon Mapper shines a light on CO2 and methane**
Carbon Mapper is one of the easiest-to-use tools for observing greenhouse gas pollution. One of the strengths of Carbon Mapper is that it combines data from multiple sources, both government and privately operated missions. Carbon Mapper uses data from three aircraft, NASA’s EMIT instrument on the International Space Station, and a satellite called Tanager-1.* The Tanager satellite is owned and operated by Planet Labs, PBC, which partnered with Carbon Mapper to develop the satellite. The findings are displayed in a free mapping tool.
#### **Snapshots from above capture a different view than EPA reporting**
EPA reporting can be based on direct measurements at some facilities, or a calculation called an “inventory.” An inventory is simply the sum of the amount of fossil fuel burned, multiplied by an average emissions factor for the type of fuel, such as coal, gas, or oil.
Riley Duren, CEO of Carbon Mapper, said that inventory-style measurements don’t capture the full picture.* For example, if a power plant generates the same amount of power on two different days, one might reasonably calculate the same rate of emissions. But that’s not necessarily true, said Riley. For every megawatt of power generated, the emissions can vary due to the efficiency of the power plant’s combustion. Riley said that a standardized emissions calculation doesn’t capture these variations, and “outliers can dramatically change the emission rate.”
Riley expects satellite monitoring will generate more accurate measurements of CO2 and methane pollution than inventory calculations, and satellites can fill in gaps in countries with no emissions reporting. This data will become more robust as more satellites are added to the fleet. Carbon Mapper plans to launch three new satellites by the end of next year, and Carbon Mapper is just one of several programs that are finding and mapping climate-warming pollution.
**Learn more:** Find out which climate action best fits into your life.
#### **Coal plants are the largest CO2 super-emitters in the U.S.**
In the U.S., the largest plumes of CO2 pollution are all coming from coal-burning power plants. In fact, the map of the country’s worst emitters looks exactly like a map of the places that still rely on coal to generate electricity.
(Image credit: Background image by August Schwerdfeger / CC BY 4.0; map vector via FreeVector.com)
The list below shows the largest CO2 polluters in the U.S. in the Carbon Mapper database, as of August 2025. More details about these super-emitters are listed in the table at the bottom of this article, and the links for each power plant take you directly to that facility in Carbon Mapper’s data portal.
#### 1. Labadie Energy Center
* Labadie, Missouri
* Emits 2,646,000 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 6.7 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### 2. Coal Creek Power Station
* Underwood, North Dakota
* Emits 2,425,500 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 6.1 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### **3. Oak Grove Steam Electric Station**
* Franklin, Texas
* Emits 1,905,800 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 4.8 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### **4.** **Jim Bridger Power Plant**
* Rock Springs, Wyoming
* Emits 1,847,300 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 4.6 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
####
**5. Colstrip Generating Plant**
* Colstrip, Montana
* Emits 1,663,700 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 4.2 railcars of coal per hour
_Note: This is an aggregate of the aircraft measurement described earlier in this article, plus a measurement from space._
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### **6.** **Iatan Generating Station**
* Weston, Missouri
* Emits 1,502,700 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 3.8 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### **7. Robert W. Scherer Power Plant**
* Juliette, Georgia
* Emits 1,498,100 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 3.8 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### **8. James H. Miller Electric Generating Plant**
* Adamsville, Alabama
* Emits 1,255,500 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 3.2 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### **9. Fayette Power Project, aka Sam Seymour Power Plant**
* La Grange, Texas
* Emits 1,222,000 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 3.1 railcars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
#### **10. Four Corners Steam Electric Station**
* Waterflow, New Mexico
* Emits 1,207,900 pounds of CO2 per hour
* Equivalent to burning 3 rail cars of coal per hour
See it in Carbon Mapper
* * *
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#### The **10 largest CO2 plumes in the U.S., as measured by Carbon Mapper**
Plant name| Location| **Emissions per hour, measured from air or space**| **Most recent measurement**| **2023 annual emissions****as reported by the EPA**| **Rank as biggest emitter, according to EPA data**
---|---|---|---|---|---
Labadie Energy Center| Labadie, Missouri | 2,646,000 pounds of CO2 per hour1,200,000 kg CO2 per hour| April 2025| 16,829,999 tons| 2nd
Coal Creek Power Station| Underwood, North Dakota| 2,425,500 pounds of CO2 per hour1,100,000 kg CO2 per hour| Oct. 2024| 8,440,757 tons| 21st
Oak Grove Steam Electric Station| Franklin, Texas| 1,905,800 pounds of CO2 per hour864,300 kg of CO2 per hour| April 2024| 13,433,250 tons| 4th
Jim Bridger Power Plant| Rock Springs, Wyoming| 1,847,300 pounds of CO2 per hour837,800 kg of CO2 per hour| Oct. 2024| 9,813,084 tons| 16th
Colstrip Generating Plant| Colstrip, Montana| 1,663,700 pounds of CO2 per hour754,500 kg of CO2 per hour| June 2025| 11,992,412 tons | 10th
Iatan Generating Station| Weston, Missouri| 1,502,700 pounds of CO2 per hour681,500 kg of CO2 per hour| Oct. 2024| 5,113,905 tons| 54th
Robert W. Scherer Power Plant| Juliette, Georgia| 1,498,100 pounds of CO2 per hour679,400 kg of CO2 per hour| Feb. 2025| 8,325,584 tons| 22nd
James H. Miller Electric Generating Plant| Adamsville, Alabama| 1,255,500 pounds of CO2 per hour569,400 kg of CO2 per hour| June 2025| 18,109,178 tons| 1st
Fayette Power Project, aka Sam Seymour Power Plant| La Grange, Texas| 1,222,000 pounds of CO2 per hour554,200 kg of CO2 per hour| Sept. 2024| 9,248,092 tons| 19th
Four Corners Steam Electric Station| Waterflow, New Mexico| 1,207,900 pounds of CO2 per hour547,800 kg of CO2 per hour| Feb. 2024| 7,852,750 tons| 27th
_*Editor’s note: These sentences were corrected September 24 and 25, 2025._
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# Satellites are mapping the biggest CO2 polluters in the world
by Karin Kirk, Yale Climate Connections
September 23, 2025
<h1>Satellites are mapping the biggest CO2 polluters in the world</h1> <p class="byline">by Karin Kirk, Yale Climate Connections <br />September 23, 2025</p> <p class="has-drop-cap">On September 2, 2023, a specially equipped aircraft flew to Colstrip, Montana. On this fine late summer morning, the plane flew over the Colstrip coal-fired power plant, one of the largest and dirtiest in the U.S. The plant was generating about 1,500 megawatts of electricity that day.* The airplane flew back and forth in tidy parallel paths, making 12 passes over the power plant and its surroundings.</p> <p>The airplane is called the Global Airborne Observatory, and it measures climate-warming pollution in pinpoint detail. Data from the flyover revealed a billowing plume of carbon dioxide coming from Colstrip’s twin smokestacks, with concentrations reaching beyond 100,000 parts per million. These measurements showed the power plant was emitting about 1.7 million pounds of CO2 an hour, which is what you’d get from burning 4.4 railcars full of coal. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Colstrip-1.png" alt="A screenshot from Carbon Mapper of the carbon dioxide plume from the Colstrip power plant." class="wp-image-132229" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A plume of carbon dioxide coming from the Colstrip power plant in Montana, measured by the Global Airborne Observatory and viewed in the Carbon Mapper <a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?details=CO2_1A1_250m_-106.61156_45.88216%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=GAO20230902t172015p0000-C#14.94/45.88221/-106.60015">data portal</a>.</figcaption></figure> <p>The result of the flyover is a visual representation of climate-warming pollution that conveys something that numbers cannot. Most readers already know that a coal-burning power plant is a major source of CO2 emissions. But it strikes a different chord to see a plume of pollution emerging from a power plant and spreading silently over the landscape.</p> <p>As the Trump administration moves to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reporting-pollution-zeldin-124595af7b9c96818336701ffedae71d">cancel</a> greenhouse gas reporting by major polluters, a constellation of satellites and aircraft is already taking up the slack. Scores of instruments are peering down through Earth’s atmosphere, finding pollution all across the globe, every day. These programs are run by private companies, nonprofits, and governments, and most of them display their data for free so anyone can see it.</p> <p><em>Read part one of this series:<a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/08/climate-polluters-may-be-allowed-to-stop-reporting-their-emissions-that-doesnt-mean-they-can-hide-them/"> Climate polluters may be allowed to stop reporting their emissions. That doesn’t mean they can hide them.</a> </em></p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Carbon Mapper shines a light on CO2 and methane</strong></h4> <p>Carbon Mapper is one of the easiest-to-use tools for observing greenhouse gas pollution. One of the strengths of Carbon Mapper is that it combines data from multiple sources, both government and privately operated missions. Carbon Mapper uses data from three aircraft, NASA’s EMIT instrument on the International Space Station, and a satellite called Tanager-1.* The Tanager satellite is owned and operated by Planet Labs, PBC, which partnered with Carbon Mapper to develop the satellite. The findings are displayed in a free <a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/#1.43/30.8/50.5%22">mapping tool</a>.</p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Snapshots from above capture a different view than EPA reporting</strong></h4> <p>EPA reporting can be based on direct measurements at some facilities, or a calculation called an “inventory.” An inventory is simply the sum of the amount of fossil fuel burned, multiplied by an average <a href="https://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/co2_vol_mass.php">emissions factor</a> for the type of fuel, such as coal, gas, or oil.</p> <p>Riley Duren, CEO of Carbon Mapper, said that inventory-style measurements don’t capture the full picture.* For example, if a power plant generates the same amount of power on two different days, one might reasonably calculate the same rate of emissions. But that’s not necessarily true, said Riley. For every megawatt of power generated, the emissions can vary due to the efficiency of the power plant’s combustion. Riley said that a standardized emissions calculation doesn’t capture these variations, and “outliers can dramatically change the emission rate.”</p> <p>Riley expects satellite monitoring will generate more accurate measurements of CO2 and methane pollution than inventory calculations, and satellites can fill in gaps in countries with no emissions reporting. This data will become more robust as more satellites are added to the fleet. Carbon Mapper plans to launch three new satellites by the end of next year, and Carbon Mapper is just one of <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/08/climate-polluters-may-be-allowed-to-stop-reporting-their-emissions-that-doesnt-mean-they-can-hide-them/">several programs</a> that are finding and mapping climate-warming pollution.</p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Coal plants are the largest CO2 super-emitters in the U.S.</strong></h4> <p>In the U.S., the largest plumes of CO2 pollution are all coming from coal-burning power plants. In fact, the map of the country’s worst emitters looks exactly like a map of the places that still rely on coal to generate electricity.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/co2-plume-map-1-1024x769.jpg" alt="a map of the U.S. showing the locations of the largest co2 plumes" class="wp-image-132400" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Image credit: Background image by August Schwerdfeger / CC BY 4.0; map vector via <a href="https://www.freevector.com/usa-map#">FreeVector.com</a>)</figcaption></figure> <p>The list below shows the largest CO2 polluters in the U.S. in the Carbon Mapper database, as of August 2025. More details about these super-emitters are listed in the table at the bottom of this article, and the links for each power plant take you directly to that facility in Carbon Mapper’s data portal.</p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Labadie Energy Center</h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Labadie.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Labadie, Missouri" class="wp-image-132209 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Labadie, Missouri</li> <li>Emits 2,646,000 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 6.7 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-90.83700_38.56199%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=tan20250424t172252c00s4001-A#13.98/38.56419/-90.83133">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Coal Creek Power Station</h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Coal-Creek.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Underwood, North Dakota" class="wp-image-132210 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Underwood, North Dakota</li> <li>Emits 2,425,500 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 6.1 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-101.15576_47.37834%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20241004t183159p12028-A#13.34/47.38994/-101.13929">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Oak Grove Steam Electric Station</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Oak-Grove.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Franklin, Texas" class="wp-image-132213 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Franklin, Texas</li> <li>Emits 1,905,800 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 4.8 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-96.48743_31.18051%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20240128t191214p13012-A#13.67/31.17183/-96.47116">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4.</strong> <strong>Jim Bridger Power Plant</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jim-Bridger.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Rock Springs, Wyoming" class="wp-image-132214 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Rock Springs, Wyoming</li> <li>Emits 1,847,300 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 4.6 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-108.78628_41.73826%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20241014t201312p13020-A#13.14/41.75515/-108.75135">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. Colstrip Generating Plant</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Colstrip.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Colstrip, Montana" class="wp-image-132216 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Colstrip, Montana</li> <li>Emits 1,663,700 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 4.2 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><em>Note: This is an aggregate of the aircraft measurement described earlier in this article, plus a measurement from space.</em></p> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-106.61156_45.88216%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20240803t190800p13023-A#13.33/45.89255/-106.6203">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6.</strong> <strong>Iatan Generating Station</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Iatan.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Weston, Missouri" class="wp-image-132217 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Weston, Missouri</li> <li>Emits 1,502,700 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 3.8 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-94.98003_39.44664%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20241004t165501p11024-A#13.17/39.44646/-94.96863">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>7. Robert W. Scherer Power Plant</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Robert-W-Scherer.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Juliette, Georgia" class="wp-image-132218 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Juliette, Georgia</li> <li>Emits 1,498,100 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 3.8 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-83.80651_33.05757%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20250217t173308p12003-A#14.08/33.05862/-83.79404">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>8. James H. Miller Electric Generating Plant</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/James-H-Miller.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Adamsville, Alabama" class="wp-image-132219 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Adamsville, Alabama</li> <li>Emits 1,255,500 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 3.2 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-87.06047_33.63348%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=tan20250622t170604c59s4001-J#15.23/33.63198/-87.052454">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>9. Fayette Power Project, aka Sam Seymour Power Plant</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Fayette.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from La Grange, Texas" class="wp-image-132220 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>La Grange, Texas</li> <li>Emits 1,222,000 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 3.1 railcars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-96.75079_29.91638%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20240928t182944p12013-A#13.23/29.91198/-96.73589">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>10. Four Corners Steam Electric Station</strong></h4> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:40% auto"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Four-Corners.png" alt="A carbon dioxide plume from Waterflow, New Mexico" class="wp-image-132221 size-full" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Waterflow, New Mexico</li> <li>Emits 1,207,900 pounds of CO2 per hour</li> <li>Equivalent to burning 3 rail cars of coal per hour</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://data.carbonmapper.org/?plume_gas=CO2&details=CO2_1A1_250m_-108.47777_36.68681%3Fstatus%3Dnot_deleted&plume_id=emi20240216t201011p13010-A#11.88/36.67824/-108.44914">See it in Carbon Mapper</a></p> </p></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">The <strong>10 largest CO2 plumes in the U.S., as measured by Carbon Mapper</strong></h4> <figure class="wp-block-table alignwide is-style-regular"> <table class="has-fixed-layout"> <thead> <tr> <th>Plant name</th> <th>Location</th> <th class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left"><strong>Emissions per hour, measured from air or space</strong></th> <th class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left"><strong>Most recent measurement</strong></th> <th class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left"><strong>2023 annual emissions </strong><a href="https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/latest-emission-comparisons-pollution-controls#Annual"><strong>as reported by the EPA</strong></a></th> <th class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left"><strong>Rank as biggest emitter, according to EPA data</strong></th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Labadie Energy Center</td> <td>Labadie, Missouri </td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">2,646,000 pounds of CO2 per hour1,200,000 kg CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">April 2025</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">16,829,999 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">2nd</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Coal Creek Power Station</td> <td>Underwood, North Dakota</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">2,425,500 pounds of CO2 per hour1,100,000 kg CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">Oct. 2024</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">8,440,757 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">21st</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oak Grove Steam Electric Station</td> <td>Franklin, Texas</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,905,800 pounds of CO2 per hour864,300 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">April 2024</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">13,433,250 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">4th</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Jim Bridger Power Plant</td> <td>Rock Springs, Wyoming</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,847,300 pounds of CO2 per hour837,800 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">Oct. 2024</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">9,813,084 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">16th</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Colstrip Generating Plant</td> <td>Colstrip, Montana</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,663,700 pounds of CO2 per hour754,500 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">June 2025</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">11,992,412 tons </td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">10th</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Iatan Generating Station</td> <td>Weston, Missouri</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,502,700 pounds of CO2 per hour681,500 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">Oct. 2024</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">5,113,905 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">54th</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Robert W. Scherer Power Plant</td> <td>Juliette, Georgia</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,498,100 pounds of CO2 per hour679,400 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">Feb. 2025</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">8,325,584 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">22nd</td> </tr> <tr> <td>James H. Miller Electric Generating Plant</td> <td>Adamsville, Alabama</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,255,500 pounds of CO2 per hour569,400 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">June 2025</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">18,109,178 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1st</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Fayette Power Project, aka Sam Seymour Power Plant</td> <td>La Grange, Texas</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,222,000 pounds of CO2 per hour554,200 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">Sept. 2024</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">9,248,092 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">19th</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Four Corners Steam Electric Station</td> <td>Waterflow, New Mexico</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">1,207,900 pounds of CO2 per hour547,800 kg of CO2 per hour</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">Feb. 2024</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">7,852,750 tons</td> <td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">27th</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </figure> <p><em>*Editor's note: These sentences were corrected September 24 and 25, 2025. </em></p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/09/satellites-are-mapping-the-biggest-co2-polluters-in-the-world/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org">Yale Climate Connections</a> and is republished here under a <a target="_blank" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/yaleclimateconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ycc-favicon.png?resize=100%2C100&ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=132199&ga4=1401ERFF5Q" style="width:1px;height:1px;"><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: "https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/09/satellites-are-mapping-the-biggest-co2-polluters-in-the-world/", urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id="parsely-cfg" src="//cdn.parsely.com/keys/yaleclimateconnections.org/p.js"></script></p> Copy to Clipboard
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