U.S. power plant carbon standards and the potential for clean air, human health and ecosystem co-benefits

Carbon dioxide emissions standards for U.S. power plants will influence the fuels and technologies used to generate electricity, altering emissions of pollutants and affecting ambient air quality and public and ecosystem health.

Three alternative scenarios for U.S. power plant carbon standards were evaluated for changes in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone concentrations in ambient air, and resulting public health and ecosystem co-benefits. For two of the three policy scenarios, carbon standards for existing power plants can substantially decrease emissions of co-pollutants, and improve air quality and public health beyond existing air quality policies. A stringent but flexible policy that counts demand-side energy efficiency toward compliance yields the greatest health and ecosystem benefits and a favorable benefit-cost analysis. The magnitude and the nature of the co-benefits associated with this policy are highly distributed spatially, with all of the coterminous states receiving some health benefits and many states experiencing ecosystem benefits. Professor Charles Driscoll and his research teams current work involves an evaluation of options considered for implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan.

In this talk, Driscoll will discuss his research on power plant carbon standards and the potential impacts of the Clean Power Plan.