US power plant carbon standards and clean air and health co-benefits

Charles T. Driscoll; Jonathan J. Buonocore; Jonathan I. Levy; Kathleen F. Lambert; Dallas Burtraw; Stephen B. Reid; Habibollah Fakhraei; Joel Schwartz

doi:10.1038/nclimate2598

US power plant carbon standards and clean air and health co-benefits

Charles T. Driscoll, Jonathan J. Buonocore, Jonathan I. Levy, Kathleen F. Lambert, Dallas Burtraw, Stephen B. Reid, Habibollah Fakhraei, Joel Schwartz

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

152 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	535-540
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Climate Change
Volume	5
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2598
State	Published - Jun 26 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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title = "US power plant carbon standards and clean air and health co-benefits",

abstract = "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.",

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AU - Driscoll, Charles T.

AU - Buonocore, Jonathan J.

AU - Levy, Jonathan I.

AU - Lambert, Kathleen F.

AU - Burtraw, Dallas

AU - Reid, Stephen B.

AU - Fakhraei, Habibollah

AU - Schwartz, Joel

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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US power plant carbon standards and clean air and health co-benefits

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