U.S. 2009 carbon emissions to fall 5.9 percent: EIA

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U.S. emissions of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from fuel should fall 5.9 percent in 2009 as the recession cuts electricity and transportation fuel demand, the government said in a monthly forecast on Tuesday.

U.S. emissions of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from fuel should fall 5.9 percent in 2009 as the recession cuts electricity and transportation fuel demand, the government said in a monthly forecast on Tuesday.

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Demand for coal, which emits about twice as much carbon dioxide as natural gas per unit of energy generated, should fall more than 9 percent in 2009 on the economic downturn, the Energy Information Administration, the statistics arm of the Department of Energy, said in its short-term forecast.

"Lower electric power sector coal consumption is expected to continue for the remainder of the year," the EIA said.

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