US Power Plant Carbon Standards and Clean Air and Health Co-benefits

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Date

May 4, 2015

Authors

Charles Driscoll, Jonathan Buonocore, Jonathan Levy, Kathleen Lambert, Dallas Burtraw, Stephen Reid, Habibollah Fakhraei, and Joel Schwartz

Publication

Journal Article

Reading time

1 minute

Carbon dioxide emissions standards for US power plants will influence the fuels and technologies used to generate electricity, alter emissions of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, and influence ambient air quality and public health. We present an analysis of how three alternative scenarios for US power plant carbon standards could change fine particulate matter and ozone concentrations in ambient air, and the resulting public health co-benefits. The results underscore that carbon standards to curb global climate change can also provide immediate local and regional health co-benefits, but the magnitude depends on the design of the standards. A stringent but flexible policy that counts demand-side energy efficiency towards compliance yields the greatest health benefits of the three scenarios analysed.

Topics

Authors

Charles Driscoll

Jonathan Buonocore

Jonathan Levy

Kathleen Lambert

Dallas Burtraw

Darius Gaskins Senior Fellow

Dallas Burtraw is the Darius Gaskins Senior Fellow at RFF. Burtraw’s research includes analysis of the distributional and regional consequences of climate policy and the evolution of electricity markets, including renewables integration.

Stephen Reid

Habibollah Fakhraei

Joel Schwartz

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