By Shayak Sengupta, Sumil K Thakrar, Kirat Singh, Rahul Tongia, Jason D. Hill, Ines M. L. Azevedo, and Peter J. Adams
Air pollution and greenhouse gases from India's coal-dominant electricity system causes widespread, premature deaths in the country. These mortality impacts vary by state in India due to differences in geography, regulations, and electricity demand. This analysis disentangles the inequality in these impacts. Poorer, coal-dependent states in eastern India disproportionately face a higher burden of air pollution deaths from electricity in India. Wealthier, high renewable energy states in western and southern India meanwhile face a lower burden. This suggests that as these states have adopted more renewable generation, they have shifted their coal generation and associated air pollution deaths to eastern areas. The analysis also also estimates the mortalities of pollution control, carbon tax, and market reform strategies.
Please read more in Environmental Research Letters.