Installing a heat pump now is better for the climate, even if you run it on U.S. electricity generated mostly by fossil fuels. Here’s why.
By Alison F. Takemura, Canary Media
You might consider heat pumps to be a tantalizing climate solution (they are) and one you could adopt yourself (plenty have). But perhaps you’ve held off on getting one, wondering how much of a difference they really make if a dirty grid is supplying the electricity you’re using to power them — that is, a grid whose electricity is generated at least in part by fossil gas, coal or oil.
That’s certainly the case for most U.S. households: While the grid mix is improving, it’s still far from clean. In 2023, renewable energy sources provided just 21% of U.S. electricity generation, with carbon-free nuclear energy coming in at 19%. The other 60% of power came from burning fossil fuels.
So do electric heat pumps really lower emissions if they run on dirty grid power?
The answer is an emphatic yes. Even on a carbon-heavy diet, heat pumps eliminate tons of emissions annually compared to other heating systems.
Recent Posts
‘The Siege Must Be Broken’: Countries Called to Ship Fuel to Cuba After Trump Tariffs Struck Down
Take Action Now The US Supreme Court’s ruling “implies that Trump’s recent order imposing tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba exceeds the…
Elite Depravity in Imperial Decline, A Zero Hour Conversation With Richard Wolff
Take Action Now “The system self-selects for psychopathy… the most sociopathically obsessive competitor and accumulator of personal power and…
Economics of Health For All: The Plan to Put Health at the Heart of the Global Economy
Take Action Now At the World Health Assembly in May, member states may endorse an unprecedented strategy declaring that health is not a cost – but…
The Left Owes a Lot to Jesse Jackson
Take Action Now As a movement builder, spokesperson, and candidate for the presidency, Jesse Jackson’s accomplishments were massive. He was one of…