Power Plants: Air Polluters Or Not?

Power plants that burn fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, gas, and biomass, release harmful emissions that contribute to air pollution and have significant health and environmental impacts. These emissions include toxic pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and particulate matter, which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular issues, cancer, and other serious health problems. While efforts have been made to reduce emissions, such as the implementation of the Clean Air Act and the development of carbon capture technologies, power plants continue to be a major source of air pollution, affecting both nearby communities and areas downwind.

Burning fossil fuels

The burning of fossil fuels releases harmful pollutants, including over 80 hazardous air pollutants required for control under the Clean Air Act. These include arsenic, chromium, lead, formaldehyde, acid gases, dioxins, and furans. These pollutants can cause cancer, damage the eyes, skin, and breathing passages, harm the kidneys, lungs, and nervous system, and cause cardiovascular disease. They can also have transgenerational impacts, with evidence suggesting that early-life exposure to air pollutants can result in epigenetic changes in newborns, potentially dysregulating genes involved in disease pathways.

The combustion of fossil fuels also emits greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which intensify the greenhouse effect and increase the Earth's average air temperatures. These gases can remain in the atmosphere for decades to centuries, contributing to long-term climate change. The warming caused by the greenhouse effect outweighs the slight cooling effect of airborne particles, which only remain suspended in the atmosphere for a few days to months.

In addition to the direct health impacts, the burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation also has indirect effects on the environment and local ecosystems. Power plants that burn fossil fuels cool their systems by extracting freshwater from local rivers and lakes, which can cause stress for local species when the warm water is returned to the ecosystem. The use of diesel locomotives to transport coal, and leaks from pipelines and storage facilities used for oil and gas, also contribute to emissions and pollution.

Despite some success in reducing air pollution from power plants, the health and environmental concerns remain. The transition to zero-emission sources of electricity, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal power, is critical for improving lung health and reducing premature deaths caused by air pollution.

Health impacts

Power plants are a major source of air pollution, and this air pollution has significant health impacts. The health impacts of air pollution from power plants are not limited to the areas immediately surrounding the plants but can be felt locally and many miles away, with the pollution travelling over long distances.

The burning of fossil fuels at power plants creates emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon dioxide, mercury, and other pollutants. These emissions can have serious health and environmental impacts. Nitrogen dioxide emissions react with other gases in the air to form ozone, the nation's most widespread air pollutant, which can spread across thousands of miles. Ozone is a pollutant that can make plants more susceptible to disease, insects, and harsh weather, which can lead to changes in the biological community. Power plants are also the largest source of airborne emissions of mercury, a potent neurotoxin that affects the nervous system and brain functions, particularly in infants and children.

The health impacts of these emissions include increased risk of asthma attacks, respiratory disease, heart attacks, and premature death. People living near power plants are particularly affected, with those in metropolitan areas near coal-fired plants experiencing higher attributable death rates. Coal miners are also at an increased risk of direct lung health impacts, including Black Lung Disease.

Despite progress in reducing pollution from the electric power sector, concerns remain about the health and environmental impacts of power plant emissions. Capping power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution could prevent thousands of premature deaths each year.

Ozone pollution

Power plants are a major source of air pollution, particularly those that burn fossil fuels like coal, gas, oil, and biomass. These emissions are harmful to people living near the power plant and can also impact those hundreds of miles downwind. The pollutants released include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, mercury, and hazardous substances that can cause cancer and other health issues.

Now, let's focus on ozone pollution:

Power plants, along with industrial sites, vehicles, and other sources, contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Regulations and the transition to cleaner energy sources have helped reduce ozone-forming emissions, improving air quality over time. However, ozone pollution remains a significant concern, with EPA designating areas of attainment or non-attainment based on national ambient air quality standards.

Greenhouse gases

Power plants are a major source of air pollution, particularly those that burn fossil fuels like coal, gas, oil, and biomass. These plants release harmful emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon monoxide, and hazardous pollutants like arsenic, chromium, lead, and formaldehyde, which can cause cancer and other serious health issues.

CO2 emissions from power plants are influenced by the type of fuel used, with coal producing higher emissions than oil, and oil producing more than natural gas. In Canada, for example, coal-based power plants accounted for about 69% of total CO2 emissions reported by power plants in 2005. Similarly, in the United States, all 2,728 power plants included in a report emitted a total of 2,431 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases, with most emissions coming from coal-fired plants.

Other greenhouse gases emitted by power plants include methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). While these gases contribute less to overall emissions, they still have a significant impact on global warming. For instance, in Canada, CH4 emissions from power plants were reported to be 2,465 tonnes, while N2O emissions were 3,501 tonnes.

To address the issue of greenhouse gas emissions, there has been a push toward adopting clean, renewable, and non-combustion sources of electricity, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal power. These "zero-emission" sources can significantly reduce the health and environmental impacts associated with power plant emissions. Additionally, tools like the Power Plants and Neighboring Communities Mapping Tool help identify communities potentially exposed to power plant emissions, aiding in the development of targeted policies and solutions.

Reducing emissions

Power plants that burn fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, gas, and biomass, release harmful emissions into the atmosphere. These emissions include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, mercury, arsenic, lead, formaldehyde, and more. The release of these emissions harms the health of people living near and downwind of the power plants and contributes significantly to climate change.

To reduce emissions from power plants, a transition to clean, renewable, and non-combustion sources of electricity is critical. Sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal power produce little to no emissions, dramatically reducing health risks and premature deaths caused by air pollution.

In recent years, the power sector has made significant strides in reducing emissions, with many coal-fired power plants announcing plans to retire. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also played a crucial role in regulating and reducing emissions from power plants. In April 2024, the EPA released four major regulations aimed at slashing toxic and planet-warming pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. These regulations include legal limits on heat-trapping pollution from coal-fired power plants and strengthened Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for such plants. The EPA projects that these rules will help reduce power plant emissions by 75% below 2005 levels by 2035 and by 83% by 2040, resulting in significant climate and public health benefits.

In addition to regulatory measures, economic incentives such as tax credits for the production of refined coal have been implemented to encourage emissions reductions. Refined coal involves mixing chemicals and additives with conventional coal to reduce pollution when burned. However, the effectiveness of these tax credits has been questioned, and a coordinated review of the program is recommended if the credits are reinstated or extended.

Another technology that has been explored for reducing emissions is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS involves capturing carbon dioxide at its source and storing it permanently underground. While CCS has the potential to significantly reduce emissions, implementing it at coal-fired power plants has proven challenging due to economic viability and other external factors.

To ensure a successful transition to cleaner energy sources and reduce emissions, a balanced approach that considers both regulatory measures and economic incentives is necessary. By combining EPA regulations, tax credits, and the development of CCS technology, the power sector can make significant strides in reducing emissions and mitigating the health and environmental impacts of air pollution.

Frequently asked questions