U.S. carbon emissions jumped in 2018 despite record coal plant closings

After dropping for three years in a row, U.S. carbon emissions spiked in 2018, demonstrating how hard it can be to move away from fossil fuels while the economy is growing.

Preliminary data from the Rhodium Group, a research consultancy, found that emissions rose 3.4 percent last year. That's even as Americans' reliance on coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, hit a 40-year low.