The health costs of dirty energy: Evidence from the capacity market in Colombia

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Adhvaryu, Achyuta; Molina, Teresa; Nyshadham, Anant; Tamayo, Jorge; Torres, Nicolas
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California San Diego; National Bureau of Economic Research; University of Hawaii System; University of Hawaii Manoa; IZA Institute Labor Economics; Harvard University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103116
• 发表日期: 2023
• 关键词: Electricity generation; pollution; HEALTH; colombia

摘要

The health effects of dirty(fossil fuel driven) energy production are difficult to measure accurately due to the endogeneity of fuel choice. We exploit an electricity policy in Colombia that generates a price-based trigger for the use of thermal energy sources. Comparing municipalities near high versus low capacity plants, we first document that the activation of this trigger - which increased thermal energy production - led to significantly higher local pollution levels. This change increased cardiovascular-related ER mortality by 56% and respiratory-related morbidity by 9%. Our results translate to a cost of 996 million USD in terms of lives lost and higher healthcare costs.