Tampa’s Emission Expedition: A Review of GHG Emissions in Hillsborough County

Global warming is a phenomenon that affects every facet of mankind. A rise in the earth’s temperature above 1.5C higher than pre-industrial levels will lead to the destabilization of many of the earth’s natural systems that have been thriving for hundreds of years. This disruption to the systems mankind has grown into will uproot many behaviors and luxuries we are accustomed to. Tampa sees a lot of natural beauty and recreational activity at its water fronts including the Tampa Bay and Hillsborough River. Common activities for locals include fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, kayaking, and other outdoor activities. Coastal communities like Tampa and a large part of Hillsborough County will suffer greatly from the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels, stronger hurricanes, and increased rainfall. Due to the abundance of water in Hillsborough, this region remains vulnerable to the most immediate effects of climate change, making the matter of GHG emission reduction of vital importance and improve infrastructure for the changes led by global warming a priority. In Tampa, energy production remains the largest source of greenhouse gases at 47% of total emissions and emitting approximately 6 million tons of CO2 in 2021. 

Unfortunately, in the state of Florida, legislation from 2021 limits counties or cities from restricting or prohibiting the types of fuel sources or energy production used/supplied. This obstacle makes it more challenging for local governments to reduce the harmful emissions coming from their communities. One way the city of Tampa is trying to reduce the impact of its energy sector is by investing in renewable energy sources, such as solar, to power municipal buildings they own. In Tampa, for every 641 MWh, approximately 109 MWh is used by government buildings and 532 MWh used by the city. By replacing all its energy needs with renewable energy, 109 MWh worth of GHG emissions can be eliminated.

While that is great news, the main source of emissions remains and must be improved upon. In the Hillsborough area there are 4 providers of energy, the main ones being the steam electric plants owned by TECO (Bayside and Big Bend) while the other two facilities are Waste-to- Energy locations (McKay Bay Refuse-to-Energy and Hillsborough City Resource Recovery Facility). Understanding and improving these operations to reduce as much GHG emissions as possible will have the greatest impact in improving the overall emissions of Tampa city and Hillsborough County.