Governmental GreenHouse Gas Inventory
This Greenhouse Gas Inventory establishes a baseline for all emissions across sectors including municipal buildings, vehicles, and streetlights. This baseline will guide emission reduction targets and a Government Operations Climate Action Plan.
GHG emissions are calculated using a calculation-based approach, in which emissions are estimated using activity data and published emissions factors:
Activity Data x Emissions Factor (Fuel, GHG) = GHG Emissions (Fuel, GHG)
Activity data refers to actual energy consumption or process data such as:
Annual electricity consumption (kWh)
Natural gas usage (therms)
Fuel consumption (gallons of gasoline, diesel, propane, heating oil)
To obtain this data, the town gathered and reviewed all electricity and heating oil bills for the town’s National Grid and fuel delivery accounts, as well as fuel records for gasoline and diesel used to power the town vehicle fleet.
Emissions Factors
Each GHG and fuel type has a distinct emissions factor used to convert activity data into emissions:
Electricity: 2022 EPA Emissions and Generation Resources Integrated Database (EGRID) grid-average emission factor for the upstate New York region
Fuels (propane, heating oil/diesel, gasoline): EIA Carbon Dioxide Emissions Coefficients by Fuel
All emissions are expressed in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO₂e), which includes CO₂, methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), using 100 year global warming potential (GWP) factors from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, 2014 (AR5)
Town of Kinderhook Inventory Results
In 2021-2022, average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from government operations for the Town of Kinderhook totaled 300.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO₂e). For the purpose of developing targeted emissions reduction strategies, it is often most effective to analyze emissions by sector, as each sector presents unique opportunities and approaches for reducing GHG emissions.
Figure 1 demonstrates the vehicle fleet is the largest contributor to government GHG emissions, accounting for 173.51 MTCO₂e per year—representing 57.7% of the town’s total municipal emissions. The second-largest contributor is Administration Facilities, responsible for 39.6% of emissions. The remaining emissions are distributed across Streetlights & Traffic Signals and Water Delivery Facilities, each contributing a smaller share to the overall total, less than 3% total.
The Martin H Glynn Municipal Building, serving as the Town/Village Hall, is the highest energy-consuming facility, averaging 83 MTCO₂e of GHG emissions annually or 65.5% (Figure 2).
The town’s vehicle fleets produce an average of 174 MTCO₂e of GHG emissions annually, with gasoline-powered vehicles accounting for 80 MTCO₂e and diesel-powered vehicles for 88 MTCO₂e. Refrigerant leakage from the town fleet averages about 5 MTCO₂e per year, whereas leakage from administrative facilities is negligible (0.1 MTCO₂e). Water pumps contribute an average of 2 MTCO₂e.
When looking at sources in Figure 3, diesel is the largest contributor by energy type at 88.2 MTCO₂e (30%).
The town spends an average of $130,060 annually on energy for its facilities and operations. As shown in Figure 4, fuel oil accounts for the largest portion of this expenditure, contributing approximately 31.3% of the total energy costs, significantly outweighing expenses for propane, electricity, gasoline and diesel.
The town municipal GHG emissions were 281.3 MTCO₂e in 2021 and 309 MTCO₂e in 2022. While most sectors decreased from 2021 to 2022, propane and diesel increased notably, increasing overall emissions. This may be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, as many operations were limited in 2021 but began to reopen in 2022.
For the full Governmental GHG Inventory report go to: