Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Previous work (Cropper et al. 2017) suggests large differences in the cost effectiveness (cost per life saved) of pollution controls on coal-fired power plants in India, based on the 2008 stock of plants. This paper updates analysis of the costs and benefits of pollution control to the current stock of coal-fired power plants. We explore the cost effectiveness of alternative mechanisms to reduce fine particle concentrations from the power sector. Specifically, we compare the cost effectiveness of current regulations with the cost-effectiveness of a cap-and-trade program that reflects differences in the marginal damages caused by plants in different locations.