6 Building Energy
6.1 Introduction
Building energy emissions encompass the combustion of natural gas, propane, and fuel oil for space heating, water heating, cooking, and other end uses in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Natural gas is the dominant fuel, delivered through the distribution networks of utilities operating under Minnesota Public Utilities Commission oversight. Propane and fuel oil serve communities beyond the reach of the gas distribution network, particularly in the region’s rural areas.
This section presents emissions from all stationary fuel combustion within buildings. Electricity consumption, though a major component of building energy use, is treated separately in the Electricity section because its emissions derive from the generation mix rather than on-site combustion. Natural gas consumed for electric power generation at power plants is also treated separately; although power plant gas appears in utility delivery totals, those emissions are attributed to the electricity sector to avoid double counting.
6.2 Results
6.2.1 2022 county and subsector breakdown
Building energy accounted for an estimated 11,019,247 metric tons CO2e across the seven-county metro in 2022. Residential natural gas and liquid fuels account for approximately 48% of total building energy emissions.
6.2.2 Baseline emissions
6.2.3 CTU per-capita energy intensity
Total residential heating fuel emissions per person (CO2e per capita, combining natural gas, propane, and fuel oil) varies substantially across the region. Higher per-capita values typically reflect lower-density housing, older building stock, and greater reliance on propane or fuel oil. This metric helps identify communities where demand-side efficiency programs and electrification may have the greatest impact.
6.3 Summary
Natural gas is the dominant source of building energy emissions in the seven-county metro, with residential consumption accounting for the largest share. The commercial sector is estimated as the residual of county utility deliveries after subtracting residential, industrial, and power plant gas — an approach that likely includes some smaller industrial users. Propane and fuel oil are a small share of regional totals but account for large shares of heating energy in rural cities and townships beyond the gas distribution network. Per-capita energy intensity is highest in lower-density communities with older housing stock, suggesting that building retrofit and electrification programs targeted at these areas could yield outsized emissions reductions and reduction of energy cost burdens.