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Closing coal plants in environmental justice communities first would save more lives: Study

Summary

A study in *Environmental Science & Technology* shows prioritizing the closure of coal-fired power plants in environmental justice communities could prevent up to 136 premature deaths across the eastern U.S. Researchers analyzed scenarios for phasing out coal in Pennsylvania and found that targeting plants near vulnerable communities yielded the greatest health benefits, reducing deaths from air pollution by up to 13% within the state and 4% regionally. With Pennsylvania set to retire its remaining coal plants by 2028, the findings highlight the potential for aligning public health, equity, and climate goals. The study urges policymakers to incentivize clean energy to replace coal plants with the highest health impacts.

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