Possible underestimation of the coal-fired power plants to air pollution in China

• Published in: Resources, conservation and recycling conservation and recycling, 2023-11, Vol.198, p.107208, Article 107208
• Main Authors: Weng, Zhixiong, Song, Yuqi, Cheng, Cuiyun, Tong, Dan, Xu, Meng, Wang, Minghao, Xie, Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air quality; capital; China; coal; Coal plant; COVID pandemic; electric energy consumption; pandemic; transportation industry; Welfare benefits
• ISSN: 0921-3449; 1879-0658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107208

•Less operation of coal-fired power plants during lockdowns drives down air pollution.•Coal-fired power plants remain a major contributor to Chinese cities’ air pollution.•The influence of coal-fired power plants on air pollution differs across regions.•Welfares from further emission controls on coal-fired power plants are considerable. The Chinese government has imposed strict policies on coal-fired power plants and achieved considerable environmental benefits. However, whether coal-fired power plants still impact air pollution needs further testing. Here, we adopted a Difference-In-Differences model to compare air quality stations less and more impacted by nearby coal-fired power plants’ production activities during the strict lockdowns over the pandemic outbreaks. The less operation of coal-fired power plants during lockdowns, or caused by industrial and transportation sector shutdowns, drives down AQI by up to 2.884 units, NO2 by 1.543 μg/m3, PM10 by 3.727 μg/m3, and PM2.5 by 2.220 μg/m3. Our results support the argument that coal-fired power plants contributed significantly to air pollution. However, such significant influences differ across cities with economic levels, electricity usage, population sizes, and between capital and non-capital cities. The technological upgrades are essential for addressing further emission control issues to improve air quality. [Display omitted]