Energy agency report says US greenhouse gas emissions to be higher in 2040

A new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicates that current efforts to lower greenhouse gas pollution in the country aren't likely to lead to a significantly lighter American impact on the planet's atmosphere.

The report, which was released this week, says that emissions of carbon dioxide will rise, relative to the current year, by 2040 after falling off slightly this decade.

However, the EIA projects that the share of U.S. energy production from coal - a principal source of carbon dioxide pollution - will continue to fall, as will the relatively small percentage of energy production from oil.

Nuclear power's portion of the national energy mix is predicted to be stagnant, while use of natural gas is expected to expand by tens of millions of metric tons per year. The net result is an increase in industrial energy consumption resulting in carbon dioxide emissions.

The contribution of transportation-related emission sources will decline by 94 million metric tons per year by 2035, the report says. EIA points to tougher fuel efficiency standards imposed recently by the Obama administration as the cause of the projected decline.