Electric Power Research Institute, 3420 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
Ramboll, 7250 Redwood Blvd., Suite 105, Novato, CA, 94945, USA.
Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 5;13(1):6693. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-33902-9.
Adopting electric end-use technologies instead of fossil-fueled alternatives, known as electrification, is an important economy-wide decarbonization strategy that also reduces criteria pollutant emissions and improves air quality. In this study, we evaluate CO and air quality co-benefits of electrification scenarios by linking a detailed energy systems model and a full-form photochemical air quality model in the United States. We find that electrification can substantially lower CO and improve air quality and that decarbonization policy can amplify these trends, which yield immediate and localized benefits. In particular, transport electrification can improve ozone and fine particulate matter (PM), though the magnitude of changes varies regionally. However, growing activity from non-energy-related PM sources-such as fugitive dust and agricultural emissions-can offset electrification benefits, suggesting that additional measures beyond CO policy and electrification are needed to meet air quality goals. We illustrate how commonly used marginal emissions approaches systematically underestimate reductions from electrification.
采用电力终端技术替代化石燃料替代品，即电气化，是一项重要的全经济范围脱碳战略，它还可以减少污染物的排放，改善空气质量。在本研究中，我们通过在美国将详细的能源系统模型与全形式光化学空气质量模型相连接，评估了电气化方案的 CO 和空气质量协同效益。我们发现，电气化可以大大降低 CO 的排放，改善空气质量，而脱碳政策可以放大这些趋势，从而带来即时和局部的效益。特别是，交通电气化可以改善臭氧和细颗粒物（PM），尽管变化的幅度因地区而异。然而，来自非能源相关 PM 源的活动增加，如扬尘和农业排放，可能会抵消电气化的好处，这表明需要采取 CO 政策和电气化以外的其他措施来实现空气质量目标。我们说明了常用的边际排放方法如何系统地低估了电气化带来的减排量。
