E-IPER Dissertation Defense: Kirat Singh

Please join us for an E-IPER dissertation defense by Kirat Singh, who will present “Coal electricity generation in India: Estimating externalities and identifying efficient mitigation opportunities”!
In-person: Y2E2 300
Virtual: Zoom webinar
ABSTRACT
Coal-fired power plants continue to provide three-fourths of India’s total electricity, and their uncontrolled emissions are a major driver of India’s poor air quality. In this dissertation, I provide asset-specific estimates of coal’s externalities with an emphasis on finding specific opportunities for cost-effective mitigation. In the first chapter, I provide unit-level estimates of premature mortality associated with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. Using a reduced-complexity air quality model, I find that a quarter of the total premature mortality from coal-related PM2.5 is attributable to emissions from just 30 out of more than 500 generating units. This extreme concentration creates opportunities for highly targeted emission-reduction policies that can dramatically and cost-effectively improve public health. In the second chapter, I leverage satellite measures of nitrogen dioxide, crop productivity, and wind direction to find that coal NO2 emissions result in rice and wheat losses exceeding $800 million per year. Rice losses per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity produced are higher than monetized mortality damages at 58 power stations, and wheat losses per GWh are higher than mortality damages at 35 power stations. These findings highlight the importance of considering crop losses alongside health damages when selecting power plants for installing scarce emissions control equipment or for accelerated retirement. In the final chapter, I assess the potential for solar development on coal mine land in India. My analysis shows that opencast mines can support multiple gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity annually at costs comparable to areas currently favored by solar developers once we account for the value of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. This approach offers a viable pathway to mitigate job and revenue losses in coal-dependent regions while addressing challenges associated with acquiring private land for solar capacity expansion. Together, the three chapters provide a detailed, asset-specific roadmap for cost-effectively reducing the harms of coal-based electricity generation in India while meeting its growing energy needs.