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

Abstract

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.