Public health benefits of zero-emission electric power generation in Virginia

Luis E Ortiz; Reilly Stiles; Sophia Whitaker; Edward Maibach; James Kinter; Lucas Henneman; Jenna Krall; Paul Bubbosh; Benjamin Cash

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20198

Public health benefits of zero-emission electric power generation in Virginia

Heliyon. 2023 Sep 15;9(9):e20198. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20198. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Luis E Ortiz^{1

2

3}, Reilly Stiles^{1

2}, Sophia Whitaker¹, Edward Maibach^{1

4}, James Kinter^{1

2

3}, Lucas Henneman^{1

5}, Jenna Krall^{1

6}, Paul Bubbosh^{1

7}, Benjamin Cash^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Virginia Climate Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
² Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
³ Center for Ocean, Land and Atmosphere Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
⁴ Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
⁵ Department of Civil, Environmental And Infrastructure Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
⁶ Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
⁷ Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.

Abstract

Curbing the worst impacts of global climate change will require rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuel across all sectors of the economy. This transition will also yield substantial co-benefits, as fossil fuel combustion releases harmful pollutants into the air. In this article, we present an analysis of the co-benefits to health and health-care costs related from decarbonization of the power sector, using the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) as a case study. Using a model that combines a source-response matrix approach to pollutant concentration modelling tied to health impact functions, our analysis shows that, by 2045, the VCEA will save up to 32 lives per year across the state, and avoid up to $355 million per year in health-related costs. Fossil-fuel free generation will also help the most disadvantaged communities, as counties in the highest poverty rate quintile also avoid the most pollutant-related deaths.