Synergies and Co-benefits of a clean energy transition in China

Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants have synergies and co-benefits. My group examines the supply and demand sides of the residential, industry, power, and transport sectors and where possible identifies synergies between sectors that enhance reductions. We quantify the costs and co-benefits of these reductions for GHG mitigation, air quality and public health. Our work involves rigorous technical analyses of mitigation strategies including energy, air pollution and economic modeling and provides useful insights to inform decarbonization, air quality and health policy. Recent research has focused on opportunities in China, India and the U.S. Recently published work that will be discussed includes findings on various sectors: Residential sector:

1) how diversifying heat sources in China’s urban district heating systems will reduce the risk of carbon lock-in from continuing operation of coal power plants used to supply urban heating;

2) the environmental co-benefits and household costs of various clean heating options in rural northern China;

3) how improving building envelope efficiency lowers costs and emissions from rural residential heating in China.

Industrial sector:

1) how co-production of steel and chemicals can mitigate hard-to abate carbon emissions;

2) how deploying green hydrogen can help decarbonize China’s coal chemical sector; 3) the benefits of infrastructure symbiosis between coal power and wastewater treatment. Transport/Power: how alternative energy vehicle deployment delivers climate, air quality and health co-benefits only when coupled with decarbonizing power generation in China.

Hydrogen:

1) how subsidizing grid-based electrolytic hydrogen will increase GHG emissions in coal dominated power systems;

2) how supply side policies for hydrogen in the US need to be supplemented with demand side policies to facilitate uptake in hard-to-abate sectors like steel and ammonia production.